American Idol Far Ahead in Adults 18-49 Season Race
We’re often talking about the fact that advertisers crave the younger viewers, I’m not here to debate that now, but to introduce a new regular table. We’ve been producing the weekly top 20 broadcast shows for adults 18-49 for quite some time, but starting this week will also list the Season To Date top 20 broadcast shows for adults 18-49. Of course, this season’s been highly unusual because of the writer’s strike, but knowing that, the numbers are still interesting. Our inaugural list points out a few things that may be obvious to some, but not others.
American Idol’s dominance of the 18-49 demographic is stunning. It takes the top 2 spots and has more than 150% the average 18-49 viewership as the #3 show Desperate Housewives.
Half of the top 20 shows use no WGA screenwriters. Would that have been noticeably different without a writers strike? Perhaps. Although, bottom unscripted show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition might have done better sharing Sunday with Desperate Housewives.
NBC has only two shows, and in my mind can really only take credit for one, Heroes. Fox has 6 shows, and American Idol’s power is enough to have them comfortably in the lead for overall season to date 18-49 viewership. ABC has the most shows, eight, out of the top 20. CBS, which Robert pointed out has a problem with its age skew, has only 4, and its top show, Survivor: China is only #12.
Only 2 3 of the shows, Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles and Samantha Who? were new this season. Samantha Who? benefited from Dancing With The Stars audiences, Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles did it all on “her” own. Edit: Moment of Truth is also new, of course.
Update: I had the original list mis-sorted. The numbers were correct. The sorting has been corrected now.
Season To Date Top Shows, Adults 18-49, though March 30
|
Rank |
Show |
Network |
STD Adults 18-49 (000) |
|
1 |
AMERICAN IDOL-TUESDAY |
FOX |
15,564 |
|
2 |
AMERICAN IDOL-WEDNESDAY |
FOX |
14,799 |
|
3 |
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES |
ABC |
9,674 |
|
4 |
HOUSE |
FOX |
9,343 |
|
5 |
MOMENT OF TRUTH |
FOX |
8,391 |
|
6 |
NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL |
NBC |
8,299 |
|
7 |
GREY’S ANATOMY |
ABC |
8,195 |
|
8 |
HEROES |
NBC |
8,062 |
|
9 |
LOST |
ABC |
7,838 |
|
10 |
DANCING W/THE STARS-MON |
ABC |
7,192 |
|
11 |
DANCING WITH THE STARS |
ABC |
6,939 |
|
12 |
SURVIVOR: CHINA |
CBS |
6,680 |
|
13 |
DANCING W/STARS RESULT-TU |
ABC |
6,397 |
|
14 |
SURVIVOR: MICRONESIA |
CBS |
6,316 |
|
15 |
CSI |
CBS |
6,270 |
|
16 |
EXTREME MAKEOVER:HOME ED. |
ABC |
6,203 |
|
17 |
TWO AND A HALF MEN |
CBS |
6,029 |
|
18 |
TERMINATOR: SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES |
FOX |
5,900 |
|
19 |
FAMILY GUY |
FOX |
5,741 |
|
20 |
SAMANTHA WHO? |
ABC |
5,730 |
Nielsen TV Ratings Data: ©2008 Nielsen Media Research, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
TSCC better than Family Guy and the Simpsons (not on this list)! While I know the animations (combined) are cheaper to produce, if this alone doesn’t spell Summer Glau’s return I’ll be forlorn!
Of course when you have four out of the top five shows on the list you may not feel the slave to conventional thinking.
TSCC better than Family Guy and the Simpsons (not on this list)! While I know the animations (combined) are cheaper to produce, if this alone doesn't spell Summer Glau's return I'll be forlorn!
Of course when you have four out of the top five shows on the list you may not feel the slave to conventional thinking.
I don’t agree ”Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles did it all on “her” own”
It is because TSCC got a post-football premiere in January and it pull up the number of TSCC
I don't agree ''Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles did it all on “her” own''
It is because TSCC got a post-football premiere in January and it pull up the number of TSCC
Richard, good point. Can my memory be fading so quickly as to have already forgotten that?
Richard, good point. Can my memory be fading so quickly as to have already forgotten that?
Age can be so mean, Mr. Gorman
But, I think Moment of Truth is new this season as well. But, didn’t do it “all on its own” either. But heck, by that measure my beloved House’s #s are bumped by its post Super Bowl airing.
Age can be so mean, Mr. Gorman
But, I think Moment of Truth is new this season as well. But, didn't do it “all on its own” either. But heck, by that measure my beloved House's #s are bumped by its post Super Bowl airing.
Well now I’m curious, if the lead in football game seems to be a point of contention, what would Sarah Connor’s 18-49yr demo numbers look like without the premiere? Would it drop to 25? 30? Top 50?
Well now I'm curious, if the lead in football game seems to be a point of contention, what would Sarah Connor's 18-49yr demo numbers look like without the premiere? Would it drop to 25? 30? Top 50?
frankj, Sadly, the numbers above are aggregate STD numbers from Nielsen. I didn’t calculate them.
I might have all the 18-49 data for TSCC if it finished in the top 25 each week. I will check.
frankj, Sadly, the numbers above are aggregate STD numbers from Nielsen. I didn't calculate them.
I might have all the 18-49 data for TSCC if it finished in the top 25 each week. I will check.