"The Singing Bee" is another summer ratings success for NBC, debuting with 13.3 million viewers. Combined with the strength of lead-in "America's Got Talent," the double dose of reality TV on NBC, plus a "Law & Order: SVU" rerun, gave it a tie for Tuesday night's 18-49 crown with the Major League Baseball All-Star Game on Fox.
In adults 18-49, "The Singing Bee" delivered the highest rating for any new summer series premiere on any network in nearly five years, said NBC, going back to the July 22, 2002 debut of NBC's "Meet My Folks." It also marks the highest 18-49 rating for any unscripted series debut on NBC, in or out of the regular season, since the January 8, 2004 premiere of "The Apprentice."
