overnight ratings

Largely on strength of America’s Got Talent, NBC averaged a 1.9 adults 18-49 rating in primetime, according to Nielsen overnights, with CBS and Fox tied for second with a 0.9 apiece. ABC was a distant fourth, posting a 0.6 and tying Univision

NBC’s new drama Heartbeat didn’t make much of a premiere splash Wednesday night, rating fourth in its 8 p.m. timeslot. CBS’s 9 p.m. show Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders drew a far bigger audience, lifting the network to an overall primetime win, 

Although NBC’s The Voice rated highest with adults 25-54, CBS topped Tuesday’s primetime ratings, largely propelled by its 8 p.m. drama NCIS, which drew the night’s largest total audience.

NBC’s Little Big Shots was the top-rated non-sports show during primetime Sunday, although its 2.6 rating with adults 18-49 was a 7% dip from last week’s. Regardless, the NCAA’s Men’s Basketball Tournament lifted CBS to win the night. 

Ratings for the Fox juggernaut fell for the third week in a row Wednesday, but that didn’t stop the network from winning the night. Empire still scores well ahead of the competition.

The network’s dramas dominated the non-sports competition Thursday night, although Thursday Night Football gave CBS the win in every major demo. Scandal was the night’s top top rating show with a 3.2 in adults 18-49 at 9 p.m., according to Nielsen overnights, down 16% from a 3.8 last fall.

NBC lead the overnight ratings Tuesday with Blindspot, the night’s No. 1 show, as the Muppets lifted ABC to a second place finish. On a night with a number of new show debuts, Muppets finished as the No. 2 program of the night and became the No. 2 new show premiere so far this season.

Although it looked like ratings for shows on the Big Four networks spiked Thursday night, that wasn’t necessarily the case, as preseason football games that preempted regular programming in a number of large markets across the country were included in the data used for the rankings. When Nielsen releases final numbers later this afternoon, the football games will have been removed and only viewership for the actual programs will be included in the numbers.

Scandal at 9 p.m. posted the night’s highest rating, while lead-out How to Get Away With Murder was second. At 8 p.m., Grey’s Anatomy tied Fox’s American Idol for first in the timeslot and third overall for the night.

Fox’s hip hop drama was once again the top program of the night, lifting the network to an easy victory Wednesday night.

CBS was the top rated network Tuesday night, having both the No. 1 and 2 shows — NCIS and NCIS New Orleans. ABC’s new comedy Fresh Off the Boat, which was second in its timeslot behind NCIS, was the night’s top comedy, boosting the network to its second-place ranking for the night.

ABC won its third straight Monday as The Bachelor built to a season high for the second straight week last night. The CW’s Jane the Virgin also continued building momentum.

CBS beat the other nets Thursday night, thanks largely to its 9 p.m. reality show which nearly matched the combined ratings of the competing shows on ABC, NBC and Fox in the hour. CBS also had the night’s No. 2 show, a repeat of The Big Bang Theory.

The debut episode of the new reality show got a lacklaster 1.0 rating with adults 18-49, but NBC won overnight ratings anyway.

A double dose of chef Gordon Ramsay — one on Masterchef, the other on Hotel Hell — helped Fox win the ratings battle Monday night. Fox finished first for the night among 18-49s with a 1.8 average overnight rating and a 6 share. NBC was second at 1.6/5, ABC third at 1.5/5, CBS and Univision tied for fourth at 1.2/4.