“American Idol” got a sprinkle of pixie dust on its Sunday ratings thanks to its first-ever live telecast on ABC. The latest installment of the network’s reboot saw a lift on “Disney Night” and won both its time slot and crowned its broadcaster winner in primetime Nielsen numbers.
From 8-10 p.m., “Idol” scored a 1.9 rating/7 share in the key 18-49 range and an average of 8.7 million total viewers — its biggest audience since its Sunday premiere on March 11. That data includes adjusted numbers for its live broadcast across the United States, as well as its original 5-7 p.m. telecast on the West Coast.
ABC was first in ratings with a 1.4 rating/6 share in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic and second in total viewers with an average of 6.4 million, according to preliminary numbers. At 7, “America’s Funniest Home Videos” earned a 1.3/6 and 5.9 million viewers. After “Idol”s live show, “Deception” at 10 had a 0.8/3 and 3.7 million viewers.
Fox was second in ratings with a 0.8/3 and fourth in viewers with 2 million. Following a repeat of “Bob’s Burgers” at 7, a fresh episode at 7:30 saw a 0.8/4 and 1.9 million viewers. At 8, “The Simpsons” had 0.9/4 and 2.4 million viewers. “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” at 8:30 put up a 0.9/4 and 2 million viewers. At 9, “Family Guy” posted a 1.0/4 and 2.3 million viewers. At 9:30, “Last Man on Earth” managed a 0.7/3 and 1.8 million viewers.
NBC and CBS tied for third in ratings with a 0.7/3.
CBS was first in viewers with 7.4 million. At 7, “60 Minutes” landed a 0.8/4 and 9 million viewers. “Instinct” at 8 received a 0.6/2 and 7 million viewers. At 9, “NCIS: Los Angeles” saw a 0.7/3 and 7.5 million viewers. At 10, “Madam Secretary” settled for a 0.5/2 and 6 million viewers.
NBC was third in viewers with 4.1 million. At 7, “Dateline” took a 0.7/3 and 4.2 million viewers. At 8, “Little Big Shots” got a 0.8/4 and 6 million viewers. At 9, “Genius Junior” settled for a 0.6/2 and 3.7 million viewers. At 10, “Timeless” managed a 0.6/2 and 2.6 million viewers.
The CW does not currently nationally program Sunday nights.