Saturday’s Live Earth concert was apparently an event best seen live. It may have drawn worldwide attention to the problem of global warning, but it did not draw many television viewers.
“Live Earth Concert” averaged a 0.9 adults 18-49 rating on NBC Saturday night, according to Nielsen overnights, 18 percent below the timeslot average for reruns of “America’s Got Talent” and “Medium” the previous week.
Certainly Saturday is always a slow night for TV, especially in the summer. But NBC finished last among adults 18-49 and total viewers for the night, averaging only 2.7 million in the latter. Leader CBS averaged 5.2 million.
NBC’s three-hour event included highlights from the daylong concert, which also aired live on NBC Universal’s Sundance, Bravo and CNBC. The Al Gore-organized event included nine locations worldwide and millions of attendees, featuring performers such as Madonna, Shakira, the Red Hot Chile Peppers and more.
But it has also been criticized for generating loads of trash, lots of traffic and other environmental no-nos, despite efforts to go “green.”
Fox was first on Saturday night among 18-49s with a 1.5 average overnight rating and a 6 share, with ABC and CBS tied for second at 1.1/4, NBC fourth at 0.9/3 and Univision fifth at 0.7/3.
At 8 p.m. Fox led with a 1.4 for an hour of “Cops,” followed by ABC with a 0.9 for the first hour of the movie “Monsters, Inc.” NBC was second with a 0.8 for its first hour of the “Earth” concert, CBS fourth with a 0.7 for a repeat of “Cold Case” and Univision fifth with a 0.5 for its first of three hours of “Sabado Gigante.”
Fox led again at 9 p.m. with a 1.6 for “America’s Most Wanted,” with ABC second with a 1.4 for the second half of “Monsters.” CBS was third with a 1.0 for the first of two hours of “48 Hours,” NBC fourth with a 0.8 for its second hour of “Earth” and Univision fifth with a 0.7 for the middle hour of “Sabado Gigante.”
CBS took the top spot at 10 p.m. with a 1.7 for another hour of “48 Hours,” while ABC and NBC tied for second at 1.1, ABC for a repeat of “America’s Funniest Home Videos” and NBC for another hour of “Earth.” Univision was fourth with a 0.8 for its last hour of “Sabado Gigante.”
CBS finished first for the night among households with a 3.8 average rating and an 8 share. Fox was second at 3.0/6, ABC third at 2.1/4, NBC fourth at 1.8/4 and Univision fifth at 1.1/2.
On Sunday night, Fox again placed first for the night among viewers 18-49 with a 2.2 average overnight rating and a 7 share. CBS was second at 1.7/5, NBC third at 1.4/4, ABC fourth at 1.3/4, Univision fifth at 1.1/3 and CW sixth at 0.5/2.
ABC started the night in the lead with a 1.5 rating at 7 p.m. for a repeat of “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” followed by CBS with a 1.4 for “60 Minutes.” Univision was third with a 1.3 for a Copa America soccer game between Argentina and Peru, Fox fourth with a 1.0 for repeats of “The War at Home” and “King of the Hill,” NBC fifth with a 0.9 for “Dateline” and CW sixth with a 0.7 for an hour of “Reba” reruns.
At 8 p.m. Fox took the lead with a 2.5 average for repeats of “The Simpsons” and “American Dad,” with CBS second with a 2.1 for “Big Brother.” ABC was third with a 1.7 for a repeat of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” NBC fourth with a 1.4 for another hour of “Dateline,” Univision fifth with a 1.3 for the end of its soccer game and the first 15 minutes of “Buscando a Timbiriche,” and CW sixth with a 0.4 for a repeat of “7th Heaven.”
Fox increased its lead at 9 p.m. with a 3.2 average for an hour of “Family Guy” repeats, with CBS falling to a 1.7 for a repeat of “Cold Case.” NBC was third that hour with a 1.5 for a repeat of “Law & Order,” ABC fourth with a 1.0 for a “Desperate Housewives” rerun, Univision fifth with a 0.9 for an hour of “Buscando” and CW sixth with a 0.4 for a repeat of “Supernatural.”
At 10 p.m. NBC took the top spot with a 1.9 for a repeat of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” CBS was second with a 1.7 for a repeat of “Without a Trace,” while Univision and ABC tied for third at 0.9, Univision for another hour of “Buscando” and ABC for a repeat of “Brothers & Sisters.”
Among households, CBS led the night with a 4.7 average rating and an 8 share. NBC was second at 3.9/7, Fox and ABC tied for third at 2.7/5, Univision fifth at 1.3/2 and CW sixth at 0.9/2.
