Primetime Ratings: Moving ‘SVU’ Finale Boosts NBC
NBC corralled broadcast bragging rights Wednesday on a strong Law & Order: SVU, the network tallying a 1.2 rating in adults 18-49, per the Nielsen overnights, and a 5 share. ABC and CBS both scored a 1.1/4, then Fox weighed in at 0.9/3 and The CW at 0.8/3.
SVU, featuring a shocking death to a veteran in the squad, scored a 1.5, up 25%. Heartbeat did a flat 0.7 and Chicago P.D. closed its season at a flat 1.4.
ABC aired the feature film Finding Nemo, which did a 1.3, before the Nashville series finale tallied a 0.9, up 13%.
On CBS, The Price is Right primetime special, feature Amazing Race stars, did a 1.2, then a double run of Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders wrapped the season at 1.0, down a tenth from its last airing.
Over Fox’s way, Rosewood did a 0.8, down 43% from when it had Empire leading out, and the season premiere of Wayward Pines a 0.9. Pines kicked off last season at 1.0 and closed it out at 1.2.
CW had the finales of Arrow and Supernatural, both at 0.8. Arrow was flat while Supernatural ticked up 14%.
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Michael Malone is content director at B+C and Multichannel News. He joined B+C in 2005 and has covered network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television, including writing the "Local News Close-Up" market profiles. He also hosted the podcasts "Busted Pilot" and "Series Business." His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The L.A. Times, The Boston Globe and New York magazine.