“Hairspray Live” hauled in 8.918 million total viewers, according to preliminary Nielsen numbers. With those subject to adjust up in final figures, will it eventually overtake “Peter Pan Live’s” 9.211 million tally?
We’ll find that answer out soon enough, but for now, we know it was enough to top “Empire” among their overall audience tallies — it also handed NBC the No. 1 primetime slot outright on Wednesday. However, Fox’s hip-hop soap actually took its 9 o’clock hour in the key 18-49 demographic.
Read all about “Hairspray’s” earlier overnight numbers here, which placed it down 25 percent from December 2015’s “The Wiz Live.” The 18-49 people meters saw this year’s musical drop 40 percent from last year’s.
NBC was first in ratings with a 2.3 rating/8 share in the advertiser-coveted demo and in total viewers with an average of 8.9 million, according to preliminary numbers. “Hairspray Live” was only show on NBC’s primetime schedule.
Fox was second in ratings with a 1.9/7 and third in viewers with 6.6 million. “Lethal Weapon” at 8 p.m. had a 1.4/5 and 6.2 million viewers. “Empire” at 9 earned a 2.5/8 and 7 million viewers.
CBS was third in ratings with a 1.4/5 and second in viewers with 7.6 million. “Survivor” at 8 got a 1.7/6 and 8.3 million viewers. At 9, “Criminal Minds” put up a 1.3/4 and 7.7 million viewers, beating “Empire” by the latter metric for the first time ever. “Code Black” at 10 received a 1.1/4 and 6.7 million viewers.
ABC was fourth in ratings with a 1.2/4 and in viewers with 4.8 million. “The Goldbergs” at 8 had a 1.5/6 and 5.4 million viewers. At 8:30, “Speechless” got a 1.3/4 and 4.6 million viewers. After a rerun, the 9:30 “Black-ish” received a 1.2/4 and 4.2 million viewers. “Designated Survivor” at 10 closed out primetime to a 1.1/4 and 5.2 million viewers.
Univision and Telemundo tied for fifth in ratings, both with a 0.7/2. Univision was fifth in total viewers with 1.9 million, Telemundo was sixth with 1.7 million.
The CW was seventh in ratings with a 0.5/2 and in viewers with 1.4 million. “Arrow” at 8 had a 0.7/2 and 1.9 million viewers. At 9, “Frequency” settled for a 0.2/1 and 874,000 viewers.
Live TV Musicals Ranked by Ratings, From 'Annie Live!' to 'Grease' (Photos)
NBC's "Annie Live!" bowed Thursday as the first new live musical production to air on broadcast TV since ABC's "The Little Mermaid Live!" in November 2019.
It also marked NBC's return to the genre, which it hasn't ventured into since "Jesus Christ Superstar Live!" on Easter Sunday of 2018, and the first of the Big 4 networks' live-TV musicals to be made during the COVID-19 era.
So naturally, all eyes were on how the Taraji P. Henson- and Harry Connick Jr.-led "Annie Live!" performed in TV ratings and viewership, as that's going to be used as an indicator of what "Tomorrow" looks like for the genre.
On the plus side, "Annie Live!" averaged 5.155 million total viewers, which was better than Fox's "Rent" and "A Christmas Story." Unfortunately, "Annie" ranks dead last in the key demo of adults 18-49, though that may be more of an indicator on how young adults view broadcast television in late 2021 vs. late 2019.
"Annie Live!" faced a lot of competition last night: Fox aired "Thursday Night Football," ABC had a highly anticipated Alec Baldwin interview in the first hour of primetime, and CBS did well with its first few sitcoms.
Scroll through our gallery to see how each of broadcast TV's modern-day, live musical productions rank by Nielsen numbers. Lowest-rated is first, highest-rated is last.
ABC
Rank: 11
Musical: "Annie Live!"
Date: December 2, 2021
Network: NBC
18-49 rating: 0.9
Total viewers: 5.155 million
NBC
Rank: 10
Musical: "Rent"
Date: January 27, 2019
Network: Fox
18-49 rating: 1.4
Total viewers: 3.415 million
Fox
Rank: 9
Musical: "A Christmas Story: Live"
Date: Dec. 17, 2017
Network: Fox
18-49 rating: 1.5
Total viewers: 4.481 million
Fox
Rank: 8
Musical: "The Passion"
Date: March 20, 2016
Network: Fox
18-49 rating: 1.6
Total viewers: 6.648 million
Fox
Rank: 7
Musical: "Jesus Christ Superstar Live!"
Date: April 1, 2018
Network: NBC
18-49 rating: 1.7
Total viewers: 9.607 million
NBC
Rank: 6
Musical: "Hairspray Live!"
Date: Dec. 7, 2016
Network: NBC
18-49 rating: 2.3
Total viewers: 9.045 million
NBC
Rank: 5
Musical: "Peter Pan Live!"
Date: Dec. 4, 2014
Network: NBC
18-49 rating: 2.4
Total viewers: 9.211 million
NBC
Rank: 4
Musical: "The Little Mermaid Live!"
Date: Nov. 5, 2019
Network: ABC
18-49 rating: 2.6
Total viewers: 8.978 million
ABC
Rank: 3
Musical: "The Wiz Live!"
Date: Dec. 3, 2015
Network: NBC
18-49 rating: 3.4
Total viewers: 11.498 million
NBC
Rank: 2
Musical: "Grease: Live"
Date: Jan. 1, 2016
Network: Fox
18-49 rating: 4.3
Total viewers: 12.206 million
Fox
Rank: 1
Musical: "Sound of Music Live!"
Date: Dec. 5, 2013
Network: NBC
18-49 rating: 4.6
Total viewers: 18.624 million
NBC
1 of 12
Thursday show marked the long-awaited return of broadcast TV’s modern-day, live musical productions
NBC's "Annie Live!" bowed Thursday as the first new live musical production to air on broadcast TV since ABC's "The Little Mermaid Live!" in November 2019.
It also marked NBC's return to the genre, which it hasn't ventured into since "Jesus Christ Superstar Live!" on Easter Sunday of 2018, and the first of the Big 4 networks' live-TV musicals to be made during the COVID-19 era.
So naturally, all eyes were on how the Taraji P. Henson- and Harry Connick Jr.-led "Annie Live!" performed in TV ratings and viewership, as that's going to be used as an indicator of what "Tomorrow" looks like for the genre.
On the plus side, "Annie Live!" averaged 5.155 million total viewers, which was better than Fox's "Rent" and "A Christmas Story." Unfortunately, "Annie" ranks dead last in the key demo of adults 18-49, though that may be more of an indicator on how young adults view broadcast television in late 2021 vs. late 2019.
"Annie Live!" faced a lot of competition last night: Fox aired "Thursday Night Football," ABC had a highly anticipated Alec Baldwin interview in the first hour of primetime, and CBS did well with its first few sitcoms.
Scroll through our gallery to see how each of broadcast TV's modern-day, live musical productions rank by Nielsen numbers. Lowest-rated is first, highest-rated is last.
ABC
NBC
