Overnights
Tony Awards on CBS take a major hit
By Toni Fitzgerald
Jun 11, 2007 - 11:54:49 AM

If it was a good night for Tony on HBO, where the “Sopranos” mob boss managed to survive the series ender, it was a disappointing one for Tony on CBS. The annual Broadway awards show plunged 19 percent from last year’s overnight rating to what could be the worst household rating in Tony Awards history.

The Tonys averaged a 4.2 household rating from 8 to 11 p.m., according to Nielsen overnights, down 19 percent from a 5.2 for the same timeslot last year.

Fast nationals measure timeslot data and not actual program data, which means they’re not always accurate for live events that bleed into other timeslots or past 11 p.m. Final ratings due out tomorrow could thus adjust.

But the early indication is that this was a poor year for the awards show in viewership. With a dearth of big-buzz plays and few high-wattage stars in attendance, the Tonys suffered.

Viewership for the awards show has been falling for more than a decade. It’s been nine years since the show drew more than 10 million viewers, and the 2005 edition was the show’s lowest-rated ever in households with a 4.5 average.

This year’s show averaged 6.2 million total viewers from 8 to 11, and viewership eroded steadily during the final 90 minutes. Some of that may be attributable to viewers changing channels to watch either the end of “Sopranos,” which ran a few minutes past 10 p.m. on HBO, or Game 2 of the NBA Finals, which once again failed to draw a big crowd after a dismal start last Thursday but was still way ahead of the Tonys.

Still, NBA-fueled ABC was first for the night among viewers 18-49 with a 2.4 average overnight rating and a 7 share. That was down 31 percent from the same night last year, when Game 2 also aired. Fox was second last night at 1.7/5, NBC third at 1.6/5, CBS fourth at 1.3/4, Univision fifth at 1.0/3 and CW sixth at 0.4/1.
 
CBS and ABC tied for the lead at 7 p.m., each with a 1.6 rating, CBS for “60 Minutes” and ABC for a repeat of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” NBC was third with a 1.4 for “Dateline,” Fox fourth with a 1.1 for repeats of “The War at Home” and “King of the Hill,” Univision fifth with a 0.9 for the first hour of the movie “El Que No Corre…¡Vuela!” and CW sixth with a 0.4 for a repeat of “7th Heaven.”
 
At 8 p.m. NBC took the lead with a 2.3 for another hour of “Dateline,” with Fox second with a 2.1 average for a repeat of “The Simpsons” (2.6) and the season premiere of “The Loop” (1.7). ABC was third that hour with a 1.7 average for the second episode of “Fast Cars & Superstars: The Young Guns Celebrity Race” (1.6) and NBC Finals pregame (1.8), CBS fourth with a 1.3 for the first hour of the Tony Awards, Univision fifth with a 1.1 for the second half of its movie and CW sixth with a 0.3 for a repeat of “Hidden Palms.”
 
ABC jumped into first place at 9 p.m. with a 3.0 for its first hour of basketball, with Fox second with a 1.9 for a repeat of “Family Guy” (2.2) and another original “The Loop” (1.6). CBS, NBC and Univision all tied for third at 1.1, CBS for the Tonys, NBC for a repeat of “Friday Night Lights” and Univision for the first hour of the movie “Sor Tequila.” CW was sixth with a 0.4 for a repeat of “Supernatural.”
 
At 10 p.m. ABC led again with a 3.1 for its second hour of basketball, with NBC second with a 1.8 for a “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” rerun. CBS and Univision tied for third that hour at 1.1, CBS for the last hour of the Tonys and Univision for the second half of “Sor Tequila.”
 
CBS finished first for the night among households with a 4.7 average rating and an 8 share, with NBC and ABC tied for second at 4.0/7, Fox fourth at 2.2/4, Univision fifth at 1.3/2 and CW sixth at 0.7/1.