Primetime Ratings: CBS Wins With March Madness

CBS took top prize in Thursday ratings, as March Madness basketball led the network to a 1.7 in viewers 18-49, per the Nielsen overnights, and a 7 share. That topped the 1.3/5 that ABC put up.

CBS had the college basketball tournament on across prime.

On ABC, it was dramas. Grey’s Anatomy was up a tenth of a point at 1.8. Scandal scored a flat 1.1, and How to Get Away With Murder grew 11% for a 1.0.

NBC did a 0.8/3, as Superstore dropped 9% to 1.0 and A.P. Bio posted a flat 0.8. Will & Grace grew 9% to 1.2 and Champions fell 13% from its premiere for a 0.7, before a Chicago Fire repeat.

Fox rated a 0.6/2. Gotham slipped 14% to a 0.6 and Showtime at the Apollo rated a flat 0.6.

Univision did a 0.5/2. Telemundo rated a 0.4/2. Both were the same as last week. 

The CW scored a 0.2/1, as Tough Mudder: Tougher Together rated a 0.2 and was followed by an Arrow repeat.

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.