Olympics Competition Ices Some Syndies

The start of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, which officially opened on Feb. 4 (although competition began earlier), created a slippery slope for some syndicated shows in the session ending Feb. 6, especially those cleared on NBC affiliates.

For example, only two of the 15 talk shows were able to break into positive ratings territory: Tamron Hall, which surged 50% in the key women 25-54 demo along with a 14% spike to a new season high 0.8 live-plus-same-day national Nielsen rating in households, and Rachael Ray, which rose 13% to a season-best 0.9.

The week’s three biggest hits in the category were Live with Kelly and Ryan, which retained its season high 1.8, leaping into a first-place tie with Dr. Phil, and Ellen DeGeneres, which did well to hold its ground at a 1.0.

Of all the talkers in original production, Drew Barrymore had the most improved ratings over last year at this time, shooting up 20%.

Elsewhere in daytime, courtroom champion Judge Judy continued to light up the ratings chart, forging ahead 4% to a three-week high 5.3.

In access, several of the top entertainment magazines brushed off the Olympics competition and scored double-digit improvement. Entertainment Tonight hit the podium with a 10% advance to a 2.3, while TMZ ticked up 29% to a new season high 0.9, and Extra swelled 17% to a 0.7, matching its biggest rating of the current syndication year with more than 1 million daily viewers.

The top talk shows for the week among women 25-54 were:

• Live with Kelly and Ryan (0.7, unchanged from the week before), tied with Dr. Phil (0.7, unchanged)
• Ellen DeGeneres (0.4, unchanged), tied with Kelly Clarkson (0.4, unchanged) and
• Maury (0.4 unchanged)

In the household rating rankings that follow, % change is from the previous week; * indicates a new season-high rating; ** indicates a new season low; NC indicates no change from the previous week; NA means not applicable.

TALK SHOWS

Dr. Phil (CMV) 1.8 -5%

Live with Kelly and Ryan (Disney-ABC) 1.8 NC

Ellen DeGeneres (WBDTD) 1.0 NC

Rachael Ray (CMV) 0.9* +13%

The Kelly Clarkson Show (NBCU) 0.9 -10%

Maury (NBCU) 0.8 NC

Wendy Williams (Debmar-Mercury) 0.8 NC

Tamron Hall (Disney-ABC) 0.8* +14%

Drew Barrymore (CMV) 0.6 NC

Steve Wilkos (NBCU) 0.6 NC

Nick Cannon (CMV) 0.5 NC

Jerry Springer (NBCU) 0.4 NC

The Good Dish (Sony) 0.4 -20%

The Real (WBDTD) 0.3 NC

The Doctors (CMV) 0.2 NC

COURT SHOWS

Judge Judy (CMV) 5.3 +4%

Hot Bench(CMV) 1.6 NC

People’s Court (WBDTD) 0.9 NC

Judge Mathis (WBDTD) 0.7 NC

Judge Jerry (NBCU) 0.5 +25%

Divorce Court (Fox First Run) 0.5 NC

Relative Justice (EW Media Group) 0.4 NC

GAME SHOWS

Jeopardy (CMV) 6.3 -3%

Wheel of Fortune (CMV) 5.8 +2%

Family Feud (Debmar-Mercury/FMNA) 5.8 -3%

25 Words or Less (Fox First Run) 0.9* +13%

You Bet Your Life (Fox First Run) 0.8 NC

Funny You Should Ask(Entertainment Studios) 0.4 NC

MAGAZINE SHOWS

Inside Edition (CMV) 2.5 +9%

Entertainment Tonight (CMV) 2.3 +10%

TMZ (Fox First Run) 0.9* +29%

Access Hollywood (NBCU) 0.8 NC

Extra (WBDTD) 0.7 +17%

Daily Mail TV (CMV) 0.6 NC

Dish Nation (Fox First Run) 0.3 +50%

OFF-NET SITCOMS

Big Bang Theory (WBDTD) 2.3 +5%

Last Man Standing (Disney-ABC) 1.4 -7%

Young Sheldon (WBDTD) 1.0 NC

Two and a Half Men (WBDTD) 0.9 +13%

Modern Family (Disney-ABC) 0.8 NC

The Goldbergs(Sony) 0.8 NC

Family Guy (Disney-ABC) 0.8 NC

Seinfeld (Sony) 0.7 NC

Mom (WBDTD) 0.6 +20%

Black-ish (Disney-ABC) 0.6 NC

OFF-NET WEEKLY HOURS

Dateline Weekly (NBCU) 4.0 +5%

Law & Order: SVU (NBCU) 1.3 +18%

Chicago Fire (NBCU) 1.2 +9%

Monk (NBCU) 1.1 NC

Bull (CNV) 0.7 -13%

­­­Seal Team (CMV) 0.7 NC

Castle (Disney-ABC) 0.7 NC