TV ratings: Fox’s ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ returns lower

Amateur dancers and Edward Snowden led Wednesday night’s broadcast ratings, according to early numbers from Nielsen.

Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance” returned for its 11th season Wednesday to lower ratings than last year, but the network still managed to win the night in the key young-adults demographic.

Over two hours, the season premiere earned a 1.6 among advertiser-desired 18-to-49-year-olds, which is down 16% from last summer’s premiere and its lowest premiere ever. However, its average viewership of 5.3 million people was up slightly from last year.

A 1.6 was easily enough to beat CBS, NBC and ABC in 18-49, though a rerun-heavy CBS had the most viewers overall, with 6.3 million tuning in.

On the more serious end of the television universe, NBC aired news anchor Brian Williams’ exclusive interview with Edward Snowden, the former contractor who leaked National Security Agency documents.

The news special “Inside the Mind of Edward Snowden” drew 5.9 million viewers and a rating of 1.3 in 18-49, which is 18% better than the network’s average in the Wed. 10 p.m. time slot last summer.