TV ratings: ‘Dateline’ O.J. Simpson special tops Wednesday

It’s been 20 years since the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, but the continued fascination in the O.J. Simpson case drove NBC’s “Dateline” to a ratings win on an otherwise quiet Wednesday night.

The “Dateline” special, “The People vs. O.J. Simpson: What the Jury Never Heard,” drew 6.23-million viewers on average, according to early numbers from Nielsen, making it the most-watched program on the four major broadcast networks.

“Dateline” also won the night in the key 18-to-49-year-old demographic, earning a rating of 1.4, where a ratings point equals about 1.3-million viewers.

Adding in the low results from the finale of the canceled rookie comedy “Growing Up Fisher,” NBC tied dance-off-driven Fox in the key demo. Each notched a 1.3 in 18-to-49, pending updates from Nielsen, while NBC had a roughly 1-million-person advantage in overall viewership.

Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance” earned a 1.3 in the demo, down 13% from last week.

Elsewhere on television, Univision’s telenovela “Lo Que La Vida Me Robó” actually matched “Dateline” in the 18-to-49 demo.

Meanwhile, Game 4 of the NHL Stanley Cup Final between the L.A. Kings and the New York Rangers aired on cable, so its national numbers won’t be released until later Thursday.

Follow Ryan Faughnder on Twitter: @rfaughnder