Some of the biggest TV stories over the past year have been in daytime: “The View’s” ever-spinning carousel of hosts, the controversial gay teen kiss on “As the World Turns,” and Drew Carey taking over for Bob Barker on “The Price is Right.”
But while daytime may have generated buzz, it didn’t do much for primetime ratings.
Friday’s “Daytime Emmy Awards” on ABC drew a mere 5.4 million total viewers, the program’s lowest ever turnout and down 11 percent from the previous low of 6.1 million set two years ago on ABC.
That came one year after the show enjoyed its best viewership in three years, drawing 8.3 million on CBS.
The problem may not be so much the Emmys themselves--awards show viewership has been falling for years--but the way they are presented.
Last year, CBS smartly aired a tribute to retiring “Price” host Bob Barker in the hour before the Emmys. That drew 8.4 million total viewers, many of whom stuck around to see Barker win his final Daytime Emmy.
This year ABC had no such lead-in to draw viewers in. Instead it used the awards show as a lead-in for a preview of “MVP,” the new series on sister network SoapNet. It retained less than half the Emmys' audience.
ABC probably would have benefited more from airing a special “View” episode or other special programming as an Emmy lead-in, which would have undoubtedly given viewership a kick.
The Daytime Emmys’ yearly rotation between CBS and ABC also probably did not help the program’s ratings. With two networks in the mix, it’s easy for casual viewers to forget year to year where to turn.
Plus, since CBS has daytime’s highest-rated daytime lineup, the network could get a lot more mileage out of its promotions last year than second-place ABC, which ranks well behind.
Finally, this year’s awards show faced remarkably tough competition on cable for a summer show. It aired opposite the premiere of Disney Channel’s “Camp Rock” from 8 to 10 p.m., which drew a strong 8.9 million viewers. Families with kids under age 15 were undoubtedly tuned in to the latter.
***
Meanwhile, in broadcast ratings for the week ended June 22:
Among adults 18-49, Fox was first with a 2.3 rating and a 7 share, followed by NBC at 1.9/6, ABC at 1.8/6, Univision at 1.6/5, CBS at 1.5/5, CW at 0.6/2, Telemundo and MyNetworkTV at 0.4/1, TeleFutura at 0.2/1, Ion at 0.1/0 and Azteca at 0.0/0.
Among adults 18-34, Fox was first with a 2.2 average rating and an 8 share, followed by Univision at 1.8/6, ABC at 1.6/6, NBC at 1.5/5, CBS at 0.9/3, CW at 0.6/2, Telemundo at 0.4/1, MyNetworkTV at 0.3/1, Telefutura at 0.2/1, and Azteca and Ion at 0.0/o.
Among adults 25-54, Fox was first with a 2.4 average rating and a 7 share, followed by NBC at 2.3/7, ABC and CBS at 2.0/6, Univision at 1.5/4, CW at 0.6/2, MyNetworkTV at 0.5/1, Telemundo at 0.4/1, Telefutura at 0.2/1, Ion at 0.1/0 and Azteca at 0.0/0.
Top five English-language Big Five shows (18-49s): 1. ABC’s “NBA Finals – Game 6” 6.9; 2. Fox’s “Hell’s Kitchen” 4.0; 3. NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” 3.7; 4. Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance – Wednesday” 3.3; 5. Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance – Tuesday” 3.1.
Top five English-language Big Five shows (total viewers): 1. ABC’s “NBA Finals – Game 6” 16.88 million; 2. NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” 12.78 million; 3. CBS’s “60 Minutes” 9.10 million; 4. CBS’s “Two and a Half Men” 8.95 million; 5. Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance – Wednesday” 8.86 million.
Top five Live+7 English-language Big Five shows (households, week ended June 8): ABC’s “NBA Finals – Game 1” 8.7; 2. ABC’s “NBA Finals – Game 2” 8.5; 3. CBS’s “Two and a Half Men” 6.6; Tie-4. CBS’s “60 Minutes” and “CSI” 6.5.
Top five Live+7 English-language Big Five shows (18-49s, week ended June 8): 1. ABC’s “NBA Finals – Game 2” 5.5; 2. ABC’s “NBA Finals – Game 1” 5.4; 3. Fox’s “Hell’s Kitchen” 5.0; 4. Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance - Wednesday” 4.1; 5. Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance – Thursday” 3.7.
Show on the rise: “Last Comic Standing,” NBC, Thursday 8:30 p.m. The reality comedy competition rose 18 percent week-to-week among viewers 18-49, from a series-low 1.7 rating to a 2.0.
Show on the decline: “Nashville Star,” NBC, Monday 9 p.m. The countrified “American Idol” wannabe slipped 18 percent week-to-week among 18-49s, from a 2.2 rating to a 1.8.
|
WEEKLY PRIMETIME AVERAGES BY NETWORK
Ranked on Households
Week Ending June 22 |
|
Network
|
Households
|
People 2+
|
Adults 18-49
|
|
Rtg%
|
(000)
|
Shr
|
Rtg%
|
(000)
|
Shr
|
Rtg%
|
(000)
|
Shr
|
|
CBS
|
4.3
|
4830
|
8
|
2.2
|
6390
|
6
|
1.5
|
1970
|
5
|
|
NBC
|
4.2
|
4710
|
7
|
2.3
|
6480
|
7
|
1.9
|
2470
|
6
|
|
FOX
|
3.8
|
4280
|
7
|
2.1
|
6070
|
6
|
2.3
|
2950
|
7
|
|
ABC
|
3.6
|
4030
|
6
|
1.9
|
5390
|
5
|
1.8
|
2350
|
6
|
|
UNI
|
1.9
|
2160
|
3
|
1.3
|
3800
|
4
|
1.6
|
2070
|
5
|
|
CW
|
1.1
|
1230
|
2
|
0.6
|
1700
|
2
|
0.6
|
810
|
2
|
|
MNT
|
0.8
|
900
|
1
|
0.4
|
1170
|
1
|
0.4
|
510
|
1
|
|
TEL
|
0.6
|
630
|
1
|
0.3
|
950
|
1
|
0.4
|
530
|
1
|
|
TF
|
0.3
|
330
|
1
|
0.2
|
530
|
1
|
0.2
|
310
|
1
|
|
ION
|
0.2
|
270
|
0
|
0.1
|
330
|
0
|
0.1
|
100
|
0
|
|
AZA
|
0.1
|
70
|
0
|
0.0
|
100
|
0
|
0.0
|
50
|
0
|
|
*
Each rating point is equivalent to
1. 128
million homes
Source: Nielsen Media Research
|
|
SEASON-TO-DATE PRIMETIME AVERAGES BY NETWORK
Ranked on Households
Week Ending June 22 |
|
Network
|
Households
|
People 2+
|
Adults 18-49
|
|
Rtg%
|
(000)
|
Shr
|
Rtg%
|
(000)
|
Shr
|
Rtg%
|
(000)
|
Shr
|
|
CBS
|
6.5
|
7310
|
11
|
3.5
|
10130
|
9
|
2.8
|
3730
|
8
|
|
FOX
|
6.3
|
7150
|
10
|
3.7
|
10700
|
10
|
4.0
|
5300
|
11
|
|
ABC
|
5.8
|
6510
|
9
|
3.1
|
8910
|
8
|
2.9
|
3840
|
8
|
|
NBC
|
5.0
|
5670
|
8
|
2.7
|
7860
|
7
|
2.7
|
3540
|
7
|
|
UNI
|
1.8
|
2040
|
3
|
1.2
|
3540
|
3
|
1.5
|
1980
|
4
|
|
CW
|
1.6
|
1840
|
3
|
0.9
|
2520
|
2
|
1.0
|
1330
|
3
|
|
MNT
|
0.8
|
860
|
1
|
0.4
|
1120
|
1
|
0.4
|
550
|
1
|
|
TEL
|
0.6
|
650
|
1
|
0.4
|
1040
|
1
|
0.4
|
570
|
1
|
|
ION
|
