Primetime Ratings: ‘Idol’ Down but Still Strong Enough for Easy ABC Win

ABC took the Sunday ratings title easily, as American Idol led to a 1.3 average across prime, in terms of viewers 18-49 (per the Nielsen overnights), and a 5 share. In second were CBS and Fox at 0.7/3.

On ABC, America’s Funniest Home Videos was off 8% to 1.1, then American Idol rated a 1.6 from 8 to 10, an 11% drop from last week. Drama Deception was off 13% for a 0.7.

On CBS, 60 Minutes did a flat 0.8 and Instinct climbed 17% to 0.7. NCIS: Los Angeles went up 14% to 0.8 while Madam Secretary slid 17% to 0.5.

Fox had Bob's Burgers down 13% to 0.7 and The Simpsons at a flat 0.9, then Brooklyn Nine-Nine off 22% to 0.7 and Family Guy down 10% at 0.9. Last Man on Earth rated a level 0.7.

NBC did a 0.5/2. Dateline decreased 14% to 0.6 and Genius Junior was off 17% to 0.5. A second Genius Junior scored a 0.6, level with last week, and Timeless was down 17% for a 0.5.

Univision rated a 0.4/2 and Telemundo a 0.3/1.

Michael Malone

Michael Malone is content director at B+C and Multichannel News. He joined B+C in 2005 and has covered network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television, including writing the "Local News Close-Up" market profiles. He also hosted the podcasts "Busted Pilot" and "Series Business." His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The L.A. Times, The Boston Globe and New York magazine.