Primetime Ratings Sunday: Grammys Way Down on CBS

Billie Eilish and Finneas win the award for Record of the Year at The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards
(Image credit: Cliff Lipson/CBS)

CBS won Sunday prime with the Grammys. Trevor Noah hosted the affair, and musical acts included Billie Eilish, Haim, Bad Bunny and Black Pumas. CBS had a 1.8 on the night, per the Nielsen overnights, and an 11 share. ABC was a distant second at 0.6/4. 

CBS led off with 60 Minutes up 50% to 1.2 and the Grammys averaged a 1.9 from 8 to 11 p.m. ET. Last year’s event, with Alicia Keys hosting, scored a 4.7. 

The music awards shifted from late January due to Los Angeles’ significant COVID issues at the time. 

ABC had an America’s Funniest Home Videos rerun, then two hours of American Idol at a level 0.8. Who Wants to be a Millionaire got a flat 0.4. 

Telemundo was next at 0.4/3. Two hours of Exatlon Estados Unidos got a 0.5, up from last Sunday’s 0.3 and 0.4, and two hours of soccer a 0.4. 

Fox was at 0.4/2. Cherries Wild grew 33% to 0.4. Bless the Harts got a 0.3 and The Simpsons and The Great North a 0.4 apiece. Bob’s Burgers scored a 0.5 and Family Guy a 0.4. All the comedies stayed flat 

NBC and Univision both rated a 0.3/2. On NBC, a couple repeats of The Voice led into Ellen’s Game of Games at a level 0.3 and Good Girls down 25% from premiere for a 0.3. 

On Univision, Aqui y Ahora got a flat 0.2 and two hours of Mira Quien Baila a 0.3 and 0.4. Sal y Pimienta went up 100% to 0.4. 

The CW did a 0.1/1. Batwoman and Charmed both got a flat 0.1. 

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.