Primetime Ratings Thursday: Fox Beats Debate With Football
NBC and ABC on top with debate coverage
Fox had the top score in Thursday primetime, with Thursday Night Football giving the network the win. Fox had a 2.1 in viewers 18-49, per the Nielsen overnights, and a 10 share. The other broadcasters had the debate between President Trump and Joe Biden. ABC and NBC were runners-up at 1.6/8, while CBS posted a 1.0/5.
Fox had Giants-Eagles across prime. The network had MLB playoffs the Thursday before. The Thursday before that, Buccaneers-Bears got a 3.0 on Fox.
ABC had 20/20: Trump vs. Biden at 0.8 and then a 1.9 from 9 to 11, including the debate.
NBC had a debate preview at 0.8 and a 1.95 from 9 to 11, rounding up to a 2.0.
CBS had Big Brother up 11% to 1.0 and a 1.1 from 9 to 11.
Univision got a 0.4/2 and Telemundo a 0.3/2. Univision had Destino 2020 Presenta: El Debate Final across prime. On Telemundo it was Decision 2020 and the debate.
The CW got a 0.2/1. Supernatural got a 0.3 and The Outpost a 0.1, both shows flat.
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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.