Syndicated shows once again were affected by NBC’s coverage of the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, as the games went into their second and final week in the session ended Feb. 25.
Many shows rebounded in the games’ second week after losing ground in the prior frame, but continued to be retitled to avoid taking hits to either their February sweep or overall season averages. Moreover, the 90th Annual Academy Awards on March 4 provided a light at the end of the tunnel, giving several syndies a boost as they headed out of sweeps and into March.
In access, the top three magazines all were in the plus column. CBS Television Distribution’s Entertainment Tonightand Inside Edition, both again retitled as Olympic specials, moved up 4% to remain tied for the category lead at a 2.8 live plus same day average household rating, according to Nielsen Media Research.
Warner Bros.’ TMZ, which did not retitle, added 8% to a 1.4. NBCU’s Access and Warner Bros.’ Extra, both of which are cleared across many NBC owned and affiliated stations, were heavily preempted. The AccessOlympic specials eased 8% from the prior week to a 1.1, while the ExtraOlympics strip remained at a 0.7. Trifecta’s Celebrity Page was unchanged at a 0.2.
On Monday, March 5, Entertainment Tonight led the magazines with its next-day coverage of the Oscars, scoring a3.6 rating/6 share primary run, weighted metered market average and moving up 12% from its year-ago time period average.
Access clocked a 1.9/4 for its next-day Oscar coverage, which was steady with last year. Extra scored a 1.8/4, growing 13% from last year.
Neither Inside Edition nor TMZ are traditional entertainment magazines, but Inside Edition averaged a 3.2/6, up 10%, while TMZ tallied a 1.3/3, down 7% from last year.
Disney-ABC’s Live With Kelly and Ryan’s live after-Oscar show averaged a 3.0/10 on Monday, its highest rating of the season, improving 25% from its year-ago time-period average. In home market New York, Live scored a 4.2/15, up 56% from last March’s time period average.
Live co-host Ryan Seacrest is under heavy scrutiny after his former E! stylist, Suzy Hardy, accused him of abuse and sexual harassment, as reported by Variety on Feb. 26. Seacrest has repeatedly denied Hardy’s claims and an investigation by E! cleared him of wrong-doing. He appeared on E!’s red-carpet pre-Oscars show as well as on Live on Monday.
Back in the national ratings, CTD’s retitled Dr. PhilOlympics improved 7% to a 3.1 to lead the talk category in the week ended Feb. 25. Among daytime’s key demographic of women 25-54, Dr. Phil also led with a 1.3.
Disney-ABC’s Live Olympics came in second among the talkers for the week at a steady 2.3 in households.
Warner Bros.’ Ellen DeGeneresOlympics rebounded 16% to a 2.2 for third place in talk.
NBCU’s Maury was flat at a 1.5. Debmar-Mercury’s Wendy Williams, which declined 22% in the prior frame, was in reruns on two days and rebounded 9% to a 1.2, tying NBC’s Jerry Springer, which was flat. NBCU’s Steve Wilkos weakened 8% to a 1.1, tying CTD’s Rachael Ray Olympics, which held steady, and Sony Pictures Television’s Dr. OzOlympics, which added 22%.
Warner Bros.’ Crime Watch Daily With Chris Hansen strengthened 11% to a 1.0. NBCU’s heavily preempted SteveOlympics held steady at a 0.9. Warner Bros.’ The Real rallied 14% to a 0.8. NBCU’s Harry, which will end after this season, and CTD’s The DoctorsOlympics both flatlined at a 0.7.
Among the first-run rookies, CTD’s DailyMailTV Olympics slumped 9% to a 1.0 in households, and fell 17% among women 25-54 to a 0.5.
Twentieth’s Page Six TV, which did not retitle, held steady at a 0.7 and tied DailyMailTV at a 0.5 in the key demo.
Further back, Entertainment Studios’ Funny You Should Ask remained at a 0.5 in homes and a 0.3 among women 25-54. Disney-ABC’s Pickler & BenOlympics again averaged a 0.3 with a 0.1 in thekey demo.
A three-week test of The Raw Wordstarring Dr. Michael Eric Dyson on select Sinclair stations got out of the gate slowly on Monday, March 5, with a 0.3 rating/1 share weighted metered market average in seven cities. That was down 40% from its 0.5/1 lead-in and off 75% from its 1.2/3 year-ago time period average. Among women 25-54 the show averaged a 0 rating/0 share in its only local people meter market, Pittsburgh, at 2 p.m, on WPNT.
CTD’s Judge JudyOlympics leapt 14% to a 7.3, which returned Judy to the top of the syndication chart.
Elsewhere in court, CTD’s Hot Bench Olympics also vaulted 14% to a 2.5 to rank as daytime’s number-three show behind only Judy and CTD’s Dr. Phil.
Warner Bros.’ People’s Court climbed 6% to a 1.8. Warner Bros.’ Judge Mathis moved ahead 8% to a 1.3. Twentieth’s Divorce Court was unchanged at a 1.0, while Trifecta’s Judge Faith finished 17% higher at a 0.7.
Game shows all were higher except for Disney-ABC’s Who Wants to Be a MillionaireOlympics, which broke even at a 1.6.
Debmar-Mercury’s Family Feud, the only game show not to be retitled, recovered 5% to a 6.8 to lead the group. CTD’s Jeopardy! Olympics answered with a 5% bump to a 6.1 and CTD’s Wheel of Fortune Olympics inched up 2% to a 5.8.
Disney-ABC’s viral video show RightThisMinute Olympics advanced 8% to a 1.4, while NBCU’s off-net Dateline also added 8% to a 1.3.
Warner Bros.’ The Big Bang Theory perked up 4% to lead the off-net sitcoms a 4.9. Twentieth’s Modern Family fell 4% to a 2.3. Twentieth’s Last Man Standing climbed 6% to a 1.9. SPT’s newcomer The Goldbergs grew 6% to a 1.8. Warner Bros.’ Two and a Half Men and Mike and Molly remained at a 1.6 and 1.5, respectively. Twentieth’s Family Guy gave back 7% to a 1.4. Warner Bros.’ 2 Broke Girls and Twentieth’s The Cleveland Show stood pat at a 1.2 and 1.1, with the latter tying SPT’s Seinfeld, which sprinted ahead10%.
Further back, Warner Bros.’ off-net rookie Mom, which stars new Oscar winner Allison Janney, gained 11% to a 1.0, while CTD’s The Game continued to play at a 0.4 for a fourth straight week.
