TV industry reporters are all still exhausted from the 2014-15 season's first week of Live+Same Day ratings, but just in time for the weekend, the Live+3 Day ratings are beginning to trickle in, starting with Monday, September 27.
Not surprisingly, the early Live+3 Day winners are the shows that were already winners, with slightly lower-rated shows posting bigger percentage gains and slightly higher rated shows gaining more volume, but lower percentages. Math is funny like that.
So while “The Big Bang Theory” may have “only” posted 37 percent gains in the 18-49 demo, no Monday show gained more ratings points than the 2.0 gains for both “BBT” episodes. That means that the two episodes of “The Big Bang Theory” went from a 5.4 rating among adults 18-49 in Live+SD numbers to a whopping 7.4 rating in the key demo with Live+3. “Big Bang Theory” also rose from 18.03 million viewers Live+SD to 22.55 million in Live+3, adding 4.52 million viewers, which is really great but only converts to a 25 percent bump.
But if “Big Bang Theory” is your volume leader, your percentage leaders are on FOX, where “Gotham” added a 1.8 rating among adults 18-49 to go from a 3.2 in L+SD to a 5.0 rating among adults 18-49 in Live+3. That's a 56 percent bump and it moves “Gotham” ahead of “The Blacklist” for the night.
Meanwhile, a lackluster 2.0 rating among adults 18-49 in Live+SD for “Sleepy Hollow” is a little mitigated by 50 percent Live+3 growth, bringing the drama to a 3.0 rating in the key demo. Even including DVR usage, that's still lower than the Live+SD ratings “Sleepy Hollow” was doing early last season, both in its pre-season premiere, but also in first couple airings against actual competition. FOX probably isn't concerned or even hugely disappointed with these “Sleepy Hollow” numbers, but somebody probably expected more.
A few more L+3 DVR highlights after the break…
*** Yes, “The Blacklist” dropped behind “Gotham” for Monday's best Live+3 18-49 numbers, but it still posted a strong 44 percent growth to go from a 3.4 to a 4.9 rating in the key demographic. While NBC normally accentuates the 18-49 numbers, the network is touting overall growth of more than 5 million viewers, taking “The Backlist” from 12.34 million viewers to 17.36 million. That's the largest Live+3 overall audience yet for “Blacklist,” above the 16.9 million for last year's premiere. “The Voice” also rose 28 percent among adults 18-49 to do a 5.0 rating for Monday night Live+3 in the key demo.
*** The magic number for 18-49 Live+3 growth appears to have been 44 percent. In addition to 44 percent for “Blacklist,” CBS got 44 percent growth for both the premiere of “Scorpion” and the finale of “Under the Dome.” “Scorpion” also got 30 percent growth (or 4.12 million) overall, leaving its premiere Live+3 totals at 17.95 million and a 4.6 rating among adults 18-49, both fairly huge, even if “Scorpion” also slipped below “Gotham” in the key demo. [CBS announced this week that “Big Bang Theory” will air a new episode at 8:00 and an encore at 8:30 for the next few weeks, which will help “Scorpion” maintain at least some of that Week 1 momentum.] The “Under the Dome” finale rose to a 2.6 rating among adults 18-49 and got 41 percent overall growth to go to 10.57 million viewers overall.
*** While ABC's “Dancing With The Stars” audience is largely allergic to DVR — only an 18 percent bump in the key demo to a 2.6 rating — the network got a fine DVR bump for its “Forever” preview, which rose 41 percent from a 1.7 to a 2.4 rating among adults 18-49. “Forever” actually improved on that Live+SD key demo number in its Tuesday premiere, so ABC has even more cause for optimism there.
Anything jump out at you here?