NBC added more than eight million viewers for the premiere of its new drama “Manifest” when factoring in delayed viewing after seven days, bringing the total to 18.4 million.
That gives the series the second-largest increase among Nielsen’s “live-plus-seven” metric (rising from 10.4 million viewers to 18.4 million) of any broadcast or cable TV show on record. The only show to have a bigger L+7 lift? ABC’s revival of “Roseanne,” which added 8.8 million viewers for the week after its March 27 premiere.
Among the advertiser-coveted adults 18 to 49 demographic, “Manifest” nearly doubled its rating, going from a 2.16 to a 4.17 when adding in the seven days of delaying viewing.
When factoring in these delayed numbers, that “Manifest” becomes the most-watched program of Premiere Week, narrowly beating CBS’ “The Big Bang Theory,” which had 18.2 million after seven days of DVR viewing.
NBC won its seventh straight premiere week in TV ratings among adults 18-49 — that’s a record ever since Nielsen people meters were started in 1987. CBS claimed the most total viewers for a premiere week, it’s 10th season in a row accomplishing that feat.
The second episode of “Manifest” held up OK this past Monday, posting a 1.8 rating and 8.4 million viewers. However, those are “live-plus-same-day” numbers, but it still helped NBC take ratings victory on Monday.