Syndication Ratings: 'Live' Leads Talk for Second Consecutive Week

Disney-ABC’sLive With Kelly topped the syndie talkers for the second week in a row in the week ended June 12, the first time Live has managed that feat since the week ended Dec. 28, 2015.

Live, which is now fully in guest-host mode, dipped 4% to the week to a 2.7 live plus same day household rating, according to Nielsen Media Research, even compared to last year at this time. CBS Television Distribution’s Dr. Phil, like many other talkers, was in repeats for the week, holding steady for the week at a 2.6, while easing 4% from last year. In addition, Phil tied Live to be number-one in talk among women 25-54 with a 1.2.

Warner Bros.’ Ellen DeGeneres, also in repeats, was the only talker to hit a new season low and did so for the second week in a row, dropping 5% for the week and 17% for the year to a 1.9.

NBCUniversal’s Steve Harvey surged 13% for the week, talk’s second biggest weekly increase for any talker in the top ten, to a 1.7. Harvey also grew 14% among women 25-54 to a 0.8.

NBCU’s Maury grew 7% to a 1.6 in households. Debmar-Mercury’s Wendy Williams showed the biggest weekly gain among the top ten, recovering 15% from a steep drop in the previous round to a sixth-place 1.5. Wendy also rebounded 25% among women 25-54 to a 1.0 in the target demo. CTD’s Rachael Ray and NBCU’s Steve Wilkos both remained at a 1.3, tying Sony Pictures Television’s recently renewed Dr. Oz, which seesawed back 8% from its all-time low in the previous frame.

NBCU’s Jerry Springer was unchanged at a 1.1. CTD’s The Doctors and Warner Bros.’ The Real both slipped 11% to a 0.8, while NBCU’s out-of-production Meredith Vieira recovered 17% to a 0.7 after sinking 25% in the prior week.

Warner Bros.’ Crime Watch Daily, the sole survivor among this year’s rookie crop, improved 13% to a 0.9. Disney-ABC’s FABLife was flat at a 0.7 and NBCU’s Crazy Talk tumbled 20% to a new season-low 0.4.

Among the courts, CTD’s Judge Judy, which led all of syndication in the May sweep, was in reruns for most of the session but still rose 2% for the week and 12% from last year at this time to a 6.7. That put Judy within a tenth of a point of Debmar-Mercury’s overall syndication household leader Family Feud, which came in at a 6.8.

CTD’s Hot Bench, the second-highest rated court show, ranked fourth in daytime for the 12th time in the past 13 weeks. Hot Bench was in repeats all week but held steady at a 2.3 and rose 15% from last year at this time.

Warner Bros.’ People’s Court stood pat at a 1.7. Warner Bros.’ Judge Mathis sagged 7% to a new season low 1.3. Twentieth’s Divorce Court eroded 8% to a 1.1 and was the only gaveler to show declines from last year at this time, dropping 21%. Trifecta’s Judge Faith deteriorated 22% to a last place 0.7 but was unchanged year to year.

In access, Family Feud lost 6% for the week to a 6.8 but chalked up its seventh week in a row as the top game show.

CTD’s Wheel of Fortune slipped 2% to a 5.8. CTD’s Jeopardy!, Debmar-Mercury’s Celebrity Name Game and Disney-ABC’s Who Wants to be a Millionaire all were flat at a 5.5, 1.3 and 1.2, respectively. Millionaire dropped the most year-to-year of any game, falling 29%.

Meanwhile, MGM’s viral video show RightThisMinute wound up 10% higher at a 1.1, although the show was still down 21% from last year at this time.

Among magazines, CTD’s Entertainment Tonight was the only strip on the upswing for both the week and year, advancing 4% to a 2.9. CTD’s Inside Edition was flat at a 2.7, but down 7% for the year. Warner Bros.’ TMZ, which was renewed by the Fox owned stations through 2019-20, fell for the third week in a row, skidding 6% to a 1.5, weakening 12% from last year, the second biggest annual decline of any magazine. NBCU’s Access Hollywood yielded 7% for the week and year to a 1.4. Warner Bros.’ Extra held steady for both the week and year at a 1.3 and was the only magazine besides ET to buck the overall downtrend. CTD’s The Insider increased 10% for the week to a 1.1, but eased 8% from last year.

Twentieth’s Dish Nation descended 11% to a new season low 0.8, and lost 20% compared to last year at this time. Trifecta’s Celebrity Page, which replaced OK! TV in March, was unchanged at a 0.3 for the 11th week in a row.

Warner Bros.’ The Big Bang Theory faded 4% to a new season low 4.9. Twentieth’s Modern Family fell 7% to a new series-low 2.8. Warner Bros.’ Two and a Half Men moved down 8% to a new series-low 2.4. Twentieth’s Family Guy stood pat at a 2.1. Warner Bros.’ 2 Broke Girls gave back 5% to a 1.9, while Warner Bros.’ Mike & Molly stayed at a 1.8. SPT’s Seinfeld slipped 6% to a 1.7, tying Twentieth’s The Cleveland Show, which was steady. Twentieth’s How I Met Your Mother and Twentieth’s King of the Hill both were flat at a 1.6 and 1.4, respectively.

In the metered markets, halfway through its four-week test on four Fox stations that began June 6, The Jason Show averaged a 0.5 rating/2 share, down 29% from its averaged lead-in and down 38% from its year-ago time period average. The second four-week trial that also began on June 6 was Top 30, airing on 18 select Fox, Media General and Sinclair stations.

After two weeks, Top 30 averaged a 0.5 rating/1 share and declined 29% from both its lead-in and year-ago time period averages. 

Paige Albiniak

Contributing editor Paige Albiniak has been covering the business of television for more than 25 years. She is a longtime contributor to Next TV, Broadcasting + Cable and Multichannel News. She concurrently serves as editorial director for The Global Entertainment Marketing Academy of Arts & Sciences (G.E.M.A.). She has written for such publications as TVNewsCheck, The New York Post, Variety, CBS Watch and more. Albiniak was B+C’s Los Angeles bureau chief from September 2002 to 2004, and an associate editor covering Congress and lobbying for the magazine in Washington, D.C., from January 1997 - September 2002.