‘Scandal’ So-Long Builds On Last Year’s Season Finale Ratings To Dominate 10 PM

The swan song of ABC’s much-ballyhooed Washington-set political soap Scandal improved on last season’s wrapper and won its timeslot, but broke no records. The one-hour Scandal  scored 5.4 million viewers and a 1.3 in the demo in the 10 PM timeslot.

That tops its year–ago season closer. Last May, the two-hour Scandal Season 6 wrapper averaged 5.2 million total viewers and a 1.2 demo rating which matched its season-finale demo low.

But, as was to be expected, the wrapper did not match the season closers of Scandal’s heyday. Season 3 finale had scored 10.5 million viewers and surged about 40% in demo compared to Season 2 finale.

Thursday’s whiplash inducing one-hour series finale episode tied the show’s performance last month in ABC’s Scandal/ How to Get Away with Murder crossover, demo-wise, and built on that broadcast’s 5.13 million viewers.

Related Story

Tokyo Olympics Viewership Way Down From 2016, But Streaming Up For NBC

Demo-wise, the so-long episode of Shonda Rhimes drama topped its hour, beating NBC’s Chicago Fire (1.0, 5.24M) by 30% and CBS’ S.W.A.T. (o.9, 5.35M) by 44% .

But the Scandal bow-out was not ABC’s biggest performer of the night – a distinction that instead fell to Shonda Rhimes’ 8 PM drama Grey’s Anatomy (1.6, 6.89M).

And even that long-running powerhouse was no match for CBS sitcoms in its hour, especially The Big Bang Theory (2.4, 12.60M), which dominated its 8 PM half hour, and the night. Young Sheldon (1.9, 11.40M) followed with the 8:30 PM win in both metrics; Mom (1.4, 8.809M) did same at 9 PM.

And, at 8 PM, CW’s Supernatural (0.6, 1.81M) managed a demo-tie with Fox’s Gotham (06, 2.19M)  which matched its series low.

CBS’s Life in Pieces (1.0, 6.30M) clung to the total viewer lead at 9:30, but the second half hour of Rhimes’ Grey’s Anatomy spinoff Station 19 (1.1, 5.47M) took that half-hour in the demo, building to the start of Scandal at 10.

And, once again, CBS (1.4, 8.30M) took the night, edging out second-placed ABC (1.3, 5.92M). NBC (0.7, 3.12M) edged out Fox (0.6, 2.34M), followed by CW (0.5, 1.57M).