After its first full week of midseason originals, FOX has moved into broadcast television’s top spot among Adults 18-49. Averaging a 7.7 rating in the core adult demographic, FOX dominated the next highest-rated network last week by +267%, thanks to two strong nights of AMERICAN IDOL, the debut of new J.J. Abrams drama ALCATRAZ, the return of its Tuesday comedy block and the thrilling New York Giants vs. San Francisco 49ers NFC Championship game.
FOX delivered the highest-rated week on any network in nearly one year – since Super Bowl week (1/31 – 2/6/11) – and is the only network this season to outperform the combined weekly ratings for the other four competitive English-language broadcast networks (7.7 vs. 6.3 for CBS/ABC/NBC/CW).
Excluding sports, FOX had:
* The Top 3 programs overall among Adults 18-49: AMERICAN IDOL-SP (No. 1), AMERICAN IDOL-Wed (No. 2), AMERICAN IDOL-Thurs (No. 3)
* 6 of the Top 20 programs among Adults 18-49: AMERICAN IDOL-SP (No. 1), AMERICAN IDOL-Wed (No. 2), AMERICAN IDOL-Thurs (No. 3), NEW GIRL (No. 12), ALCATRAZ (No. 13) and GLEE (No. 17)
* 6 of the Top 20 programs among Adults 18-34: AMERICAN IDOL-SP (No. 1), AMERICAN IDOL-Wed (No. 2), AMERICAN IDOL-Thurs (No. 4), NEW GIRL (No. 7), GLEE (No. 10) and ALCATRAZ (No. 12)
* 7 of the Top 20 programs among Teens: AMERICAN IDOL-Wed (No. 1), AMERICAN IDOL-SP (No. 2), AMERICAN IDOL-Thurs (No. 3), GLEE (No. 4), NEW GIRL (No. 9), RAISING HOPE (No. 10) and ALCATRAZ (No. 18)
* 4 of the Top 20 programs among Total Viewers: AMERICAN IDOL-Wed. (No. 1), AMERICAN IDOL-SP(No. 2), AMERICAN IDOL-Thurs (No. 3), and ALCATRAZ (No. 19)
Week of January 16 – 22, 2012 — Nightly and Program Highlights
MONDAY
8:00-10:00 ALCATRAZ (P): (Adults 18-49: 3.3/8, 10.1 Mil Total Viewers)
The two-hour series debut of ALCATRAZ posted a 3.3/8 among Adults 18-49 and was FOX’s highest rated drama debut in three years (since Lie To Me on 1/21/09). In Total Viewers, ALCATRAZ was FOX’s highest rated drama debut in two years (since Human Target on 1/17/10).
ALCATRAZ tied as the second highest rated drama debut this season on any network among Adults 18-49 (tied with Revenge, behind Once Upon a Time) and was the No. 2 rated drama debut of the season outright in Adults 18-34 (behind Once Upon a Time).
Compared to FOX’s Monday night mid-season debut last season, ALCATRAZ was up +38% in Adults 18-49, +65% in Adults 18-34 (2.8 vs. 1.7) and +6% in Total Viewers (10.1 vs. 9.5 Mil).
From 8-10pm ALCATRAZ bested ABC’s The Bachelor by +38% in Adults 18-49 (3.3/8 vs. 2.4/6) and +36% in Total Viewers (10.1 vs. 7.4 Mil).
FOX ranked #2 for the night among Adults 18-49 and won the night among Adults 18-34.
TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 GLEE: (Adults 18-49: 3.1/8, 7.5 Mil Total Viewers)
9:00-9:31 NEW GIRL: (Adults 18-49: 3.4/9, 7.0 Mil Total Viewers)
9:31-10:00 RAISING HOPE: (Adults 18-49: 2.3/6, 5.0 Mil Total Viewers)
8:00-10:00 FOX PRIME: (Adults 18-49: 3.0/8, 6.8 Mil Total Viewers)
Returning with originals after more than a month off the air, FOX’s Tuesday comedies won the night among Adults 18-49, Adults 18-34 and Teens. In fact, FOX outperformed the No. 2 network for the night (NBC) by +43% among Adults 18-49 (3.0 vs. 2.1) and +121% in Adults 18-34 (3.1 vs. 1.4).
NEW GIRL and GLEE were the top two highest rated programs of the night in Adults 18-49.
NEW GIRL, GLEE and RAISING HOPE were the top three highest rated programs of the night in Adults 18-34 and Teens.
At 8pm GLEE posted a 3.1/8 and was up +3% versus five weeks ago (12/13/11, 3.0/8). GLEE was the second-highest rated program of the night in Adults 18-49 and Adults 18-34 (behind only NEW GIRL) and the highest rated program of the night in Teens. GLEE won the 8p hour in Adults 18-49, Adults 18-34 and Teens.
NEW GIRL followed at 9pm with a 3.4/9, up +3% from five weeks ago (12/13/11, 3.3/9). NEW GIRL was the highest rated program of the night in Adults 18-49 and Adults 18-34. NEW GIRL won the 9p half-hour in Adults 18-49, Adults 18-34 and Teens.
At 9:30p RAISING HOPE delivered a 2.3/6, the same as its last original five weeks ago (12/13/11, 2.3/6) and was the #3 program of the night in Adults 18-34 and Teens, behind only NEW GIRL and GLEE). In the 9:30pm half hour RAISING HOPE won the Adults 18-34 and Teens demos and ranked #2 in Adults 18-49.
WEDNESDAY
8:00-10:00 AMERICAN IDOL (P): (A18 49: 7.4/19, 21.9 Mil Total Viewers)
The Season 11 premiere of AMERICAN IDOL propelled FOX to #1 across all demos and posted the highest-rated night of the season with entertainment programming. In fact, AMERICAN IDOL on FOX outperformed the second-highest rated night of the season with entertainment programming by +28% in Adults 18-49 (7.4 vs. 5.8 for CBS, 9/19/11) and +28% in Total Viewers (21.9 vs. 17.1 Mil for ABC, 9/19/11).
The AMERICAN IDOL 11 premiere posted a 7.4/19 in Adults 18-49 and out-rated all other major networks combined for the night by +6% (7.4 vs. 7.0 for ABC/CBS/NBC). In addition, FOX outperformed the next highest rated network by +147% among Adults 18-49 (7.4 vs. ABC’s 3.0) and +94% in Total Viewers (21.9 vs. 11.3 for CBS.)
AMERICAN IDOL outperformed the next highest rated program of the night by +45% in Adults 18-49 (7.4 vs. Modern Family’s 5.1) and by +68% in Total Viewers (21.9 vs. Criminal Minds’ 13.0 Mil.)
AMERICAN IDOL grew throughout the night and gained +22% in its last half hour versus its first in Adults 18-49 (6.5 > 7.9).
THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 AMERICAN IDOL (P): (Adults 18-49: 5.7/15, 18.0 Mil Total Viewers)
9:00-10:00 THE FINDER: (Adults 18-49: 2.2/5, 6.6 Mil Total Viewers)
8:00-10:00 FOX PRIME: (Adults 18-49: 3.9/10, 12.3 Mil Total Viewers)
Airing the second audition episode of AMERICAN IDOL and week two of THE FINDER, FOX won the night among Adults 18-49, Adults 18-34 and Teens, and outperformed the next highest-rated network by +11% in the core demo (3.9 vs. 3.5 for CBS) and by +53% among Adults 18-34 (2.9 vs. 1.9 for both ABC and CBS).
AMERICAN IDOL was the highest-rated program of the night among Adults 18-49, Total Viewers, Adults 18-34 and Teens.
AMERICAN IDOL posted the highest-rated Thursday entertainment telecast so far this season.
AMERICAN IDOL grew +21% from its second half hour to its first (5.2 > 6.3).
At 8pm week two of THE FINDER posted a 2.2/5, up +29% in Adults 18-49 from the previous week’s series debut (1.7/4) and up +20% in Total Viewers (6.6 vs. 5.5 Mil.)
FRIDAY
8:00-9:00 KITCHEN NIGHTMARES: (Adults 18-49: 1.6/5, 3.9 Mil Total Viewers)
9:00-10:00 FRINGE: (Adults 18-49: 1.1/3, 3.2 Mil Total Viewers)
8:00-10:00 FOX PRIME: (Adults 18-49: 1.3/4, 3.5 Mil Total Viewers)
KITCHEN NIGHTMARES posted a 1.5/5 among Adults 18-49 and ranked #2 in the 8pm hour among Adults 18-49 and Adults 18-34.
FRINGE posted a 1.1/3 and ranked #3 tie in the hour among Adults 18-49 and Adults 18-34.
FOX ranked third among Adults 18-49 for the night and No. 2 among Adults 18-34.
SATURDAY
8:00-8:31 COPS: (A18 49: 1.3/4, 3.7 Mil Total Viewers)
8:31-9:00 COPS: (A18 49: 1.6/5, 4.4 Mil Total Viewers)
9:00-10:00 TERRA NOVA (R): (Adults 18-49: 0.4/1, 1.4 Mil Total Viewers)
8:00-10:00 FOX PRIME: (Adults 18-49: 0.9/3, 2.7 Mil Total Viewers)
COPS and an encore TERRA NOVA gave FOX a third-place finish on Saturday.
SUNDAY
7:00-10:43 NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (S): (A18 49: 21.7/47, 58.4 Mil Total Viewers)
10:43-10:57 NFC CHAMPIONSHIP POSTGAME (S): (A18 49: 12.3/28, 31.0 Mil Total Viewers)
10:57-11:57 AMERICAN IDOL (S): (A18 49: 7.9/21, 19.7 Mil Total Viewers)
7:00-11:00 FOX PRIME: (A18 49: 21.0/45, 56.4 Mil Total Viewers)
FOX won the night in Adults 18-49, Total Viewers and all key demos and delivered the highest rated night on any network on any day of the week in one year (since FOX aired the Super Bowl on 2/6/11.)
FOX’s NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (New York Giants vs. San Francisco 49ers) delivered the highest Adults 18-49 rating for an NFC championship game since 1996, and with 57.6 million average viewers, was the second most-watched NFC Championship Game since 1982 and third most-watched ever. In addition, the game broadcast averaged a whopping 69.0 million viewers at its peak (10:00-10:30pm ET).
Following the game, a special telecast of AMERICAN IDOL aired from 10:57-11:57p and posted a 7.9/21 among Adults 18-49 with 19.7 Mil Total Viewers — the highest-rated entertainment telecast on a Sunday so far this season in Adults 18-49 and Total Viewers.
AMERICAN IDOL outperformed last week’s Wednesday and Thursday telecasts respectively in Adults 18-49 by +7% (7.9 vs. 7.4, Wed 1/18/12) and +39% (vs. 5.7, Thu 1/19/12) and in Adults 18-34 by +10% (6.6 vs. 6.0, Wed 1/18/12) and +61% (vs. 4.1, Thu 1/19/12). In Total Viewers, AMERICAN IDOL outperformed last Thursday by +9% (19.7 vs. 18.0 Mil for Thu 1/19/12).
ALSO: FOX’s AMERICAN IDOL on Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday were the top three rated entertainment programs of the week in Adults 18-49.
JANUARY 16 – 22, 2012
TOTAL PRIMETIME
ADULTS 18 49 ADULTS 18 34 VIEWERS (Mil)
FOX 7.7/19 FOX 6.7/19 FOX 21.2
ABC 2.1/5 ABC 1.6/5 ABC 6.7
CBS 2.1/5 CBS 1.3/4 CBS 9.3
NBC 1.5/4 NBC 1.1/3 NBC 5.8
(Source: Fox)
