‘Chicago Med’ propels NBC to top of prime-time TV ratings for second week in a row

The season premiere of “Chicago Med” drew the largest audience for a scripted program since May, helping NBC to its second consecutive weekly victory and third of the eight-week-old 2020-21 television series.

The medical drama averaged 7.84 million viewers, the most for a scripted program since the season finale of the CBS crime drama “Blue Bloods” on May 1, which averaged 8.53 million, according to live-plus-same-day figures released Tuesday by Nielsen.

“Chicago Med” was seventh among prime-time programs airing between Nov. 9 and Sunday, trailing three NFL games, two other NFL programs and “60 Minutes.”

NBC also had three of the next four most-watched entertainment programs — the Tuesday episode of the singing competition “The Voice,” ninth for the week, averaging 7.64 million viewers, the Monday episode of “The Voice,” 12th for the week averaging 7.27 million, and the season premiere of “Chicago Fire,” 13th for the week, averaging 7.24 million viewers following “Chicago Med.”

NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” topped the ratings for the third consecutive week, with the New England Patriots’ 23-17 victory over the Baltimore Ravens averaging 15.79 15.787 million viewers.

“60 Minutes” was the highest-rated non-NFL program, averaging 12.38 million viewers, finishing third overall. The CBS News magazine was the lone non-NFL program to average more than 8 million viewers.

CBS’ “Young Sheldon” had the biggest audience for a comedy for the second time in the two episodes it has aired this season, averaging 7.41 million viewers, 11th overall and third among entertainment programs.

ABC’s biggest audience was for the 54th annual CMA Awards, which averaged 7.1 million viewers, 14th overall and sixth among entertainment programs.

The top-ranked cable program was ESPN’s “Monday Night Football,” with the Patriots’ 30-27 victory over the winless New York Jets averaging 10.22 million, fifth for the week.

Fox News Channel rebounded from a second-place finish behind CNN on election week to win the cable network race for the 41st time in 43 weeks, averaging 3.36 million viewers. CNN was second, averaging 2.36 million viewers, and MSNBC third, averaging 2.15 million.