Ratings: 'Great News' - We've Got Some Terrible News

NBC

NBC settled for a second-place tie with ABC among adults 18-49 on Thursday — but don’t blame the first network’s “SNL” Christmas Special. At 8 p.m., a new “Great News” episode managed just a 0.5 rating/2 share and 2.7 million total viewers. A second half-hour of the same show was even worse.

ABC’s Christmas specials last night handed the Disney broadcaster 1.4 million more audience members than NBC, though CBS easily topped Thursday thanks to “Young Sheldon.”

Running reruns, Fox slipped behind Univision and into a fifth-place tie with Telemundo.

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CBS was first in ratings with a 1.3 rating/5 share in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic and in total viewers with an average of 8.1 million, according to preliminary numbers. Following a repeat, “Young Sheldon” at 8:30 landed a 1.7/8 and 11.2 million viewers. “Mom” at 9 had a 1.4/6 and 9 million viewers. “Life in Pieces” at 9:30 received a 1.1/4 and 6.7 million viewers. “S.W.A.T.” at 10 finished primetime to a 1.1/4 and 6.3 million viewers.

ABC and NBC tied for second in ratings, both with a 0.9/4. ABC was second in total viewers with 4.7 million, NBC was third with 3.3 million.

For ABC, “A Charlie Brown Christmas” at 8 had a 1.3/6 and 5.6 million viewers. ABC reran its two-hour “CMA Country Christmas” special after.

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For NBC, readers already know what the 8 o’clock “Great News” got. The 8:30 episode settled for a 0.4/2 and 1.8 million viewers. From 9-11, the “Saturday Night Live” Christmas special averaged a 1.1/5 and 3.8 million viewers.

Univision was fourth in ratings with a 0.5/2 and in viewers with 1.4 million.

Fox was fifth in ratings with a 0.3/1 and in viewers with 1.3 million.

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Telemundo was sixth in ratings with a 0.3/1 and in viewers with 1.1 million.

The CW was seventh in ratings with a 0.2/1 and in viewers with 714,000, also airing just repeats.

15 Most-Watched TV Specials of 2017: From Oscars to AMAs (Photos)

With increased competition and a general downward trend in live viewing, television specials tend to feel, well, less special with each passing year. There are still quite a few annual must-see live-TV hours -- and no, we're not even talking about sports (for this one).

From the Oscars to the Emmys and everything toward the top, TheWrap ranked the 15 most-watched broadcast-television entertainment specials of 2017. And with those very low Nielsen ratings out of Fox's "A Christmas Story Live," we've got no musicals making the cut this time.

Scroll through the gallery for the 15 biggest.

Also Read: 20 Most-Watched TV Specials of 2016: From Oscars to ‘Hairspray Live’ (Photos)
Getty
Rank: 1
Special: Oscars
Date: February 26, 2017
Day of Week: Sunday
Network: ABC
Total Viewers: 32.937 million

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ABC
Rank: 2
Special: Grammys
Date: February 12, 2017
Day of Week: Sunday
Network: CBS
Total Viewers: 26.071 million

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CBS
Rank: 3
Special: Macy's Thanksgiving Parade
Date: November 23, 2017
Day of Week: Thursday
Network: NBC
Total Viewers: 24.060 million

Also Read: Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Ratings Deflate 7 Percent From 2016
NBC
Rank: 4
Special: Oscars Red Carpet (8 p.m.)
Date: February 26, 2017
Day of Week: Sunday
Network: ABC
Total Viewers: 20.892 million

Also Read: Oscars Original Score Category Gives John Williams a Shot at 51st Nomination
ABC
Rank: 5
Special: Golden Globes
Date: January 8, 2017
Day of Week: Sunday
Network: NBC
Total Viewers: 20.014 million

Also Read: Golden Globes 2018: The Complete List of Nominees
NBC
Rank: 6
Special: Carol Burnett 50th Anniversary Special
Date: December 3, 2017
Day of Week: Sunday
Network: CBS
Total Viewers: 15.366 million

Also Read: Here’s the Average Age of a ‘Carol Burnett 50th Anniversary Special’ Viewer
CBS
Rank: 7
Special: Oscars Red Carpet (7:30 p.m.)
Date: February 26, 2017
Day of Week: Sunday
Network: ABC
Total Viewers: 15.279 million

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ABC
Rank: 8
Special: Country Music Awards
Date: November 8, 2017
Day of Week: Wednesday
Network: ABC
Total Viewers: 14.278 million

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ABC
Rank: 9
Special: National Dog Show
Date: November 23, 2017
Day of Week: Thursday
Network: NBC
Total Viewers: 11.556 million

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NBC
Rank: 10
Special: Oscars Red Carpet (7 p.m.)
Date: February 26, 2017
Day of Week: Sunday
Network: ABC
Total Viewers: 11.460 million

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ABC
Rank: 11
Special: Emmys
Date: September 17, 2017
Day of Week: Sunday
Network: CBS
Total Viewers: 11.394 million

Also Read: Emmys: TV Academy Adds Even More Categories, Tweaks Other Rules
CBS
Rank: 12
Special: Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards
Date: April 2, 2017
Day of Week: Sunday
Network: CBS
Total Viewers: 10.911 million

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CBS
Rank: 13
Special: "Stayin' Alive - A Grammys Salute to The Bee Gees"
Date: April 16, 2017
Day of Week: Sunday
Network: CBS
Total Viewers: 10.313 million

Also Read: Fox News Is Most-Watched Basic Cable Network in 2017
CBS
Rank: 14
Special: Grammys Red Carpet
Date: February 12, 2017
Day of Week: Sunday
Network: CBS
Total Viewers: 10.067 million

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CBS
Rank: 15
Special: American Music Awards
Date: November 19, 2017
Day of Week: Sunday
Network: ABC
Total Viewers: 9.160 million

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ABC
Honorable Mentions: NBC's Matt Lauer-less "Christmas in Rockefeller Center" (pictured) and ABC's "Billboard Music Awards" also averaged more than 8 million total viewers this year. Beat THAT, 2018.

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Getty

1 of 17

Sorry, “A Christmas Story Live!” — you weren’t even close

With increased competition and a general downward trend in live viewing, television specials tend to feel, well, less special with each passing year. There are still quite a few annual must-see live-TV hours -- and no, we're not even talking about sports (for this one).

From the Oscars to the Emmys and everything toward the top, TheWrap ranked the 15 most-watched broadcast-television entertainment specials of 2017. And with those very low Nielsen ratings out of Fox's "A Christmas Story Live," we've got no musicals making the cut this time.

Scroll through the gallery for the 15 biggest.

Also Read: 20 Most-Watched TV Specials of 2016: From Oscars to ‘Hairspray Live’ (Photos)

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