Last summer it seemed as though Drew Carey couldn’t miss. He had a new hit game show in primetime, “Power of 10,” and had just been named the new host of CBS’s long-running game show “The Price is Right.”
Six months later, however, Carey’s magic seems to have faded a bit. “Power” was just yanked from the CBS schedule after two disastrous outings opposite “American Idol” and the 11 a.m. EST and 10 a.m. PT editions of “Price,” after initially decent viewership when Carey took over, are seeing losses.
Season to date, according to Nielsen data, “Price I” is averaging 4.31 million total viewers, down 9 percent from 4.76 million at this time last year. Among adults 18-49, the show is down 5 percent, from 1.13 million to 1.07 million.
“Price II” is averaging 5.26 million total viewers, down 9 percent from 5.81 million last year under former host Bob Barker. Among 18-49s, it slipped 7 percent, from 1.37 million to 1.28 million.
This comes at a time when daytime ratings in general are plunging, with nine of 11 programs on the Big Three networks down compared with last year in the demo, five of them by double digits.
“Price” seemed to be defying that trend when Carey took over last fall. In his first week, the Cleveland comedian saw a 10 percent year-to-year jump among 18-49s and was even among total viewers.
The falloff since then suggests that those viewers were simply sampling the new host. Other loyal viewers may have simply stopped watching when Barker left.
In “Price’s” core demographic, women over 50, viewership compared to last year has slipped 12 percent and 11 percent for both editions.
Among college-age women 18-24, where Barker enjoyed a cult following for his enthusiastic reception of coeds on the show, the losses are even steeper, off nearly a third compared with last year, though certainly some of that can be attributed to higher use of digital video recorders among that demographic.
“Price” remains one of the top daytime programs, though it has slipped to second place behind CBS’s “Young and the Restless” among total viewers.
"It’s a tough environment right now for all of daytime," a CBS spokesperson says, "but CBS continues to lead the daypart and 'The Price is Right' continues to rank as one of the most watched shows in daytime (No. 2)."
Perhaps more than anything, Carey’s lower numbers serve as a reminder of just how popular Barker was. His farewell episode on the show, which aired in primetime, drew more than 14 million viewers last May.
CBS seems eager to help grow Carey’s daytime audience. The network said this week that it will begin a series of “Price” specials in primetime on Feb. 22, airing Fridays at 8 p.m.
At least Carey will have a reduced workload by then. After averaging just a 1.0 rating among adults 18-49 in two Wednesday outings opposite “Idol,” “Power” has been yanked from the CBS schedule in favor of sitcom reruns. The show should return this summer.
Meanwhile, in other dayparts for the week ended Jan. 13, CBS once again had the largest full daytime audience during the week, averaging 3.99 million viewers, but was third among women 18-49 with a 1.3 rating. ABC had the second-largest audience, averaging 3.02 million viewers, and was also second among women 18-49 with a 1.4 rating. NBC had a full daytime audience of 2.84 million but led among women 18-49 with a 1.5 rating.
NBC’s “Meet the Press” was first among the Sunday morning shows in total viewers with 4.71 million tuning in and first among viewers 25-54 with a 1.4 rating. CBS’s “Face the Nation” was second in viewers with 2.80 million and tied for second among 25-54s with a 0.9, with ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” pulling 2.77 million viewers and a 0.9 among 25-54s. “Fox News Sunday” was fourth in viewers with 1.33 million and among 25-54s with a 0.5.
In late night, NBC’s “Tonight Show with Jay Leno” finished first for the week, averaging 5.2 million total viewers and a 1.5 rating among adults 18-49. CBS’s “The Late Show with David Letterman” had 4.1 million viewers and a 1.2 rating in the demo, with ABC’s “Nightline” bringing in 3.0 million viewers and a 0.9 18-49 rating. In late-late night, NBC’s “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” had 2.0 million total viewers and a 0.9 in 18-49s, with CBS’s “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” at 1.8 million viewers and a 0.6, ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” at 1.5 million viewers and a 0.5, and NBC’s “Last Call with Carson Daly” bringing in 1.1 million viewers and a 0.4 among 18-49s.
In morning shows, NBC’s “Today” was first with 5.8 million total viewers and a 4.5 household rating and 16 share, followed by ABC’s “Good Morning America” with 4.6 million viewers and a 3.5/12. CBS’s “Early Show” was third with 3.1 million total viewers and a 2.4/8.
In evening network news for the week ended Jan. 20, NBC’s “Nightly News with Brian Williams” was first among total viewers, averaging 9.57 million, and tied for first among 25-54s with a 2.3 average rating. ABC’s “World News with Charles Gibson” was second in viewers, averaging 9.23 million, and tied for first among 25-54s with a 2.3, while CBS’s “Evening News with Katie Couric” was third for the week with 7.24 million total viewers and a 1.9 25-54 rating.
|
SUNDAY MORNING SHOW RATINGS
Week ending January 13, 2008
Sunday averages |
|
Program |
Network |
Households |
|
|
Rtg% |
Shr |
Adults 25-54 |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
Meet the Press |
NBC |
3.6 |
10 |
1.4 |
4.714 |
|
Face the Nation |
CBS |
2.1 |
6 |
0.9 |
2.797 |
|
This Week With George Stephanopoulos |
ABC |
2.2 |
6 |
0.9 |
2.774 |
|
News Sunday |
Fox |
1.0 |
3 |
0.5 |
1.325 |
|
Source: NTI |
|
LATE-NIGHT RATINGS
Week Ending January 13, 2008
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
People 2+ |
Adults 18-49 |
|
Total viewers (millions) |
Rtg% |
|
Tonight Show with Jay Leno |
NBC |
5.2 |
1.5 |
|
Late Show with David Letterman |
CBS |
4.1 |
1.2 |
|
Nightline |
ABC |
3.0 |
0.9 |
|
Late Night with Conan O’Brien |
NBC |
2.0 |
0.9 |
|
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson |
CBS |
1.8 |
0.6 |
|
Jimmy Kimmel Live |
ABC |
1.5 |
0.5 |
|
Last Call with
Carson Daly |
NBC |
1.1 |
0.4 |
|
Source: NTI
|
|
MORNING SHOW RATINGS
Week Ending January 13, 2008
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
Households |
People 2+ |
|
Rtg% |
Shr |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
Today |
NBC |
4.5 |
16 |
5.82 |
|
Good Morning
America |
ABC |
3.5 |
12 |
4.58 |
|
Early Show |
CBS |
2.4 |
8 |
3.08 |
|
Source: NTI |
|
DAYTIME RATINGS
Week Ending January 13, 2008
Five-day averages |
|
|
Total viewers (millions) |
Women 18-49 |
|
Network |
(millions) |
Rtg% |
|
CBS |
3.99 |
1.3 |
|
ABC |
3.02 |
1.4 |
|
NBC |
2.84 |
1.5 |
|
Source: NTI |
|
EVENING NETWORK NEWS RATINGS
Week Ending January 20, 2008
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
25-54s |
People 2+ |
|
Rtg% |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams |
NBC |
2.3 |
9.566 |
|
ABC World News with Charles Gibson |
ABC |
2.3 |
9.229 |
|
CBS Evening News with Katie Couric |
CBS |
1.9 |
7.235 |
|
Source: Nielsen Media Research |
|
SYNDICATION
Ranked on Households
Week Ending January 6, 2008
|
|
# |
PROGRAMS |
Syndicator |
Households |
|
US
Rtg% |
(000) |
|
1
|
WHEEL OF FORTUNE
|
CTD
|
7.5
|
8495
|
|
2
|
JEOPARDY
|
CTD
|
6.4
|
7225
|
|
3
|
JUDGE JUDY (AT)
|
CTD
|
5
|
5649
|
|
4
|
OPRAH WINFREY SHOW
|
CTD
|
4.7
|
5332
|
|
5
|
ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT(AT)
|
CTD
|
4.4
|
4947
|
|
6
|
TWO-HALF MEN-SYN (AT)
|
WB
|
4.3
|
4873
|
|
7
|
CSI MIAMI-SYN (AT)
|
CTD
|
4
|
4558
|
|
7
|
DR. PHIL SHOW (AT)
|
CTD
|
4
|
4456
|
|
9
|
FAMILY GUY-MF-SYN (AT)
|
2/T
|
3.9
|
4380
|
|
10
|
EVRY LVS RAYMOND-SYN(AT)
|
CTD
|
3.7
|
4176
|
|
11
|
SEINFELD-WKND (AT)
|
SPT
|
3.5
|
3993
|
|
11
|
CENTURY 19
|
2/T
|
3.5
|
3945
|
|
13
|
CENTURY PREMIERE
|
2/T
|
3.4
|
3841
|
|
14
|
SEINFELD (AT)
|
SPT
|
3.3
|
3687
|
|
15
|
MILLIONAIRE (AT)
|
DAD
|
3.2
|
3617
|
|
16
|
INSIDE EDITION
|
CTD
|
3.1
|
3522
|
|
16
|
LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY
|
DAD
|
3.1
|
3497
|
|
16
|
KING OF QUEENS-SYN (AT)
|
SPT
|
3.1
|
3489
|
|
19
|
JUDGE JOE BROWN (AT)
|
CTD
|
3
|
3357
|
|
20
|
WITHOUT A TRACE (AT)
|
WB
|
2.7
|
3035
|
|
20
|
GEORGE LOPEZ (AT)
|
WB
|
2.7
|
3031
|
|
20
|
FRIENDS (AT)
|
WB
|
2.7
|
3014
|
|
23
|
ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT WKD
|
CTD
|
2.6
|
2980
|
|
23
|
PEOPLE'S COURT (AT)
|
WB
|
2.6
|
2934
|
|
23
|
GEORGE LOPEZ WKND A (AT)
|
WB
|
2.6
|
2903
|
|
Source: Nielsen Media Research |
