Latest in Friday ratings

ESPN generated its highest-rated NBA Summer League game ever across networks on Friday night, according to Nielsen. The telecast featuring former Duke stars Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans vs. R.J. Barrett and the New York Knicks drew a record 1.2 metered market rating on ESPN, up 33 percent from the…

It’s a back-to-back Friday night victory for NBC’s Dateline, as the newsmag held steady over last week and once again topped the evening’s demo wars with an 0.6/4 and 3.26 million viewers, helping the peacock network to an overall victory over its rivals. The Dateline triumph was helped by a strong lead-in from America…

NBC’s Dateline continued its strong run, winning the demo wars with an 0.6.4 and 3.32 million total viewers. The show had a strong lead-in from American Ninja Warrior. The two-hour ANW scored an 0.5/3 and 2.41 million viewers, down from last week by a tenth, but holding solid in demos. The two performances boosted NBC…

The summertime effect is kicking in to the Friday ratings game, and the slowdown is reflected in the lack of huge audience numbers being generated. No one show dominated the competition this week. At ABC, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. weighed in with an 0.4/3 and 2.22 million, with the two-hour 20/20 performing…

The North concluded its NBA Finals visit to the Bay Area last night, and laid waste to the Golden State Warriors like the Game of Thrones’ Mother of Dragons did to King’s Landing. A Game 4 victory at 105-92 over the reigning champ Warriors puts Toronto one game from the title, an achievement which would be the…

Solving the ratings wars Friday night were as easy as ABC, as that network’s offerings were on the move. Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. led off with an 0.5.3 rating in adults 18-49, matching last week’s score and attracting 2.44 million viewers. That strong lead-in propelled the two-hour 20/20 to the night’s demo…

Most of the networks had something to cheer about on Friday, as the 18-49 demo race saw a dead heat between CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox heading into the holiday weekend. It was a night mostly for reruns, but a few gems glittered in the pile. The season premiere of Whistleblower gave CBS something to toot about, scoring at…

The Season 6 finale of NBC’s The Blacklist helped send the peacock network to the top of a quiet Friday night. The Blacklist unraveled some of its bigger secrets in the finale, scoring an 0.6/4 and 4.45 million viewers. Those totals matched its season high in total viewers and its high water mark for adults in the…

Fox’s Last Man Standing and CBS drama Blue Bloods usually dominate the Friday ratings, and that proved to be the case yet again this week, as both season finales topped the night. It was also a night for farewells, as several shows that closed their seasons have been consigned to the cancellation dustbin. In the 8 PM…

Strong performances from CBS scripted dramas Blue Bloods and Hawaii Five-0 led the eye network to an overall victory in the Friday night ratings wars. While CBS 8 PM opening act MacGyver fell short of topping its hour (Fox’s Last Man Standing claimed that crown), the show did hold its previous 0.6, and then CBS came…

CBS was strong in the Friday night ratings demographics race, thanks to the big performances of Hawaii Five-0 and Blue Bloods, which tied for the night’s best score with identical 0.7/4s. The eye network began the night with MacGyver hitting an 0.6/4 and 5.62 million audience, ticking upward afterward with Hawaii Five…

TV ratings are not the Bible, but once again, the “Last” came first on Friday night, as Fox’s Last Man Standing returned with its first new episode since last month to reclaim its throne atop the evening. The comedy scored an 0.8/5 and 4.73 million audience to win the night’s demo wars. It now needs to rebuild…