Coverage of the 2018 FIFA World Cup rolled over syndication for a fourth straight week in the Independence Day holiday session ending July 8. Although, some daytime shows recovered slightly from historic lows in the prior frame.
In access, for example, all of the game shows were week-to-week losers.
Leader Debmar-Mercury's Family Feud faded 2% to a 6.1 live plus same day national rating, according to Nielsen.
CBS Television Distribution's Wheel of Fortune fell 4% to a new season low 5.3. CTD's Jeopardy! answered with a 7% slide to a new season low 5.3, tying Wheel, and Disney-ABC's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire devalued 6% to a 1.5.
Related: 'Divorce Court' Relocating to Atlanta
Among magazines, Warner Bros.' Extra was the only steady performer in the top 5, holding firm at a 1.0 and tying Warner Bros.' TMZ and NBCUniversal's Access. TMZ slipped 9% to a new series low 1.0, and Access also eased 9% to a 1.0, which was on par with its year-ago performance.
At the top of the magazine rack, CTD's Entertainment Tonight and sibling Inside Edition both gave back 7% to 2.6, new season lows. While at the back of the pack, Trifecta's Celebrity Page regained 50% from a 0.2 to a 0.3.
Elsewhere, Disney-ABC's viral video show RightThisMinute stayed at its season low 1.3 for a third consecutive week, and NBCU's off-net true crime strip Dateline was unchanged at a 1.2.
Related: Fox Preps to Test 'The Hustle'
In daytime, CTD's Dr. Phil topped the talkers for an Oprah-like 96th week in a row, despite being in reruns all week and dipping 7% to a 2.6. Among women 25-54, Phil was again first in talk with a 1.1 in the key demo.
Back in households, Disney-ABC's Live with Kelly and Ryan was the only other talk show anywhere near Dr. Phil, rallying 11% to a four week high 2.1 with a 13% spike among women 25-54 to a second place 0.9 demo rating.
After that, it was a significant drop down to Warner Bros.' The Ellen DeGeneres Show at a new season low 1.5 household rating, off 12%. NBCU's Maury remained at its series low 1.2 for a third week and sank 20% from last year.
Related: Meredith Vieira to Host '25 Words or Less'
In fifth place, Debmar-Mercury's retitled Wendy Williams World Cup Encore Episodes of the previous three weeks were replaced by original Wendy shows and rose 83% to a 1.1, tying an all-rerun week of NBCU's Steve Harvey talker Steve, which was unchanged at a 1.1.
Three shows were in seventh place. NBCU conflict talkers Jerry Springer, which is no longer being produced, and Steve Wilkos both recovered 11% from their 0.9 season lows to a 1.0. That tied CTD's Rachael Ray, which remained at a 1.0.
Sony Pictures Television's Dr. Oz remained at its all-time low 0.9 for a fourth straight week, down 18% from last year.
Related: RuPaul Shooting Talk-Show Pilot for Telepictures
Warner Bros.' Crime Watch Daily with Chris Hansen shot up 14% to a 0.8, and there was a three-way tie for last place among CTD's The Doctors, which tumbled 14% for the week and fell 25% from last year to a new series low 0.6, NBCU's already-canceled Harry and Warner Bros.' The Real. Harry and The Real both rebounded 20% to a 0.6.
Meanwhile, the first-run rookie crop remained stagnant with ratings at or below their September premieres. CTD's DailyMailTV posted its fourth straight season low 0.9 and stayed at a 0.5 among women 25-54. Twentieth's Page Six TV published a season low 0.6 for the fourth week in a row and was flat at a 0.3 in the demo. Entertainment Studios' Funny You Should Ask was unchanged at a 0.4 and a 0.2 among women 25-54. While ratings for Disney-ABC's Pickler and Ben were reprocessed and not available for a second straight week.
In court, CTD's Judge Judy was in four days of reruns against the World Cup and gave back 2% to a new season low 6.0. But that was just one-tenth of a point behind Family Feud and highest rated show of the week honors.
CTD's Hot Bench warmed up 11% to a 2.0 even though it aired repeats all week. Warner Bros.' People’s Court regained 8% to a 1.3 after hitting a series low in the previous trial. Warner Bros.' Judge Mathis moved up 11% to a 1.0. Twentieth's Divorce Court remained at its series low 0.8 and Trifecta's Judge Faith recovered 20% from a season low to a 0.6.
Among off-net sitcoms, Warner Bros.' leader The Big Bang Theory cooled off 7% to a new season low 4.0. Twentieth's Last Man Standing stood pat at a 2.0. Twentieth's Modern Family fell 5% to a new series low 1.9. Twentieth's Family Guy gained 14% to a 1.6. SPT's rookie The Goldbergs grew 7% to a 1.5. Warner Bros.' Two and a Half Men motored ahead 8% to a 1.4. Warner Bros.' Mike & Molly was unchanged at its series low 1.2 for a fourth week in a row. Warner Bros.' 2 Broke Girls gained 10% to a 1.1. Twentieth's The Cleveland Show skidded 9% to a 1.0, tying Twentieth's How I Met Your Mother, which mushroomed 25% to a 1.0 and SPT's Seinfeld, which spiked 11% to a 1.0.
Further back, Warner Bros.' new entry Mom weakened 11% to a 0.8 while fellow freshman CTD's The Game scored a 33% increase and played at a 0.4.
