If Univision has its way, the future will look a lot like last night: Aided by repeat-heavy slates on the Big 4 networks, the Spanish-language network edged out CBS for the highest overall ratings of the night.
The finale of popular novela "La Fuerza del Destino" scored a 2.3 rating/6 share and 5.4 million total viewers from 8-10 p.m. An interview with the cast at 10 on "Don Francisco Presenta" scored a 1.5/4 and 3.6 million total viewers. The ratings averaged out to a 2.0 overall for the night, just ahead of CBS's 1.9 average for a night of all reruns.
Even in reruns, CBS still had the highest-rated show of the night: "Two and a Half Men" at 9 scored a 2.4/6. It was also the most-watched show with 8.1 million total viewers. But other shows lowered its overall average to just below Univision's.
Univision has long aimed to be the most-watched network in any language by the middle of the decade. Of course, it will typically face much stiffer competition than it will this slow holiday week.
The highest-rated new network show Monday was NBC's "Who's Still Standing" at 8, which earned a 1.7/5 and 6.9 million total viewers. NBC aired a "Fear Factor" repeat at 9, followed by a new episode of "30 Rock With Brian Williams" at 10, which earned a .9/2 and 3.5 million total viewers. NBC came in behind CBS, averaging a 1.4 over the night, despite offering the most new programming of the night, and NBC's numbers were likely inflated by local sports pre-emptions.
ABC's "You Deserve It" at 9 scored a 1.0/3 and 3.6 million total viewers. Otherwise the network ran repeats. It averaged a .9, and its numbers were also likely inflated by pre-empts.
Fox aired repeats throughout the night and averaged a .8 rating.
