TV ratings: ‘Big Brother’ Thursday premiere up from last year
Just like Wednesday night’s debut, the second night of “Big Brother’s” 16th season did better in the ratings than the most comparable episode last year.
The privacy-deprivation reality show drew 6.56 million total viewers on average, or 6% better than the first Thursday episode of Season 15 that aired a couple weeks into the cycle.
Among key 18- to 49-year-olds, Thursday night’s episode introducing the last eight of the 16 new house guests earned a rating of 2.3 (a ratings point equals about 1.3 million viewers). The number was up two-tenths of a point, or nearly 10%, from last year. It was also the highest-rated show on broadcast TV in prime time.
Wednesday night’s premiere averaged 6.64 million viewers, up about 2% from a year ago, and improved a tenth of a point to a 2.3.
On ABC, the second episode of the new “Rookie Blue” season fell 27% from last week’s premiere to a 0.8 in 18-49, going head to head with “Big Brother.”
The Disney network’s “NY Med” opened its second season with 5.5 million viewers, giving the show its most-watched episode ever, and a 0.9 in 18-49. That was an improvement from the “Rookie Blue” lead-in. The first season debuted two summers ago with a 1.2 in the demo.
NBC’s “Undateable” held up decently against “Big Brother,” falling 11% week-to-week to a 0.8. So did Fox’s rookie cop series “Gang Related,” flat with last week’s 0.8, while Gordon Ramsay’s “Hell’s Kitchen” on Fox also essentially held the line, dipping 6% to a 1.7.
Follow Ryan Faughnder on Twitter: @rfaughnder
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