Thursday’s broadcast ratings showed a mixed night across network television, with repeats helping some shows protect their numbers while fresh episodes struggled in the key 18-49 demo. NBC’s The Hunting Party stood out by rising behind repeat lead-ins, while CBS’s Ghosts and Matlock slipped after being benched, and Fox’s Going Dutch matched its season high.
CBS opened the night with Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage at 8 PM, which led primetime with a 0.43 rating and 5.88 million viewers in the 18-49 demo and total audience, respectively. That strong start was followed by a 0.35 rating and 4.85 million viewers for Ghosts at 8:30 PM, while Matlock at 9 PM posted a 0.22 rating and 4.60 million viewers after not airing in its usual spot.
NBC and Fox see different results
NBC benefited from a heavy repeat strategy, with Law & Order (R) drawing a 0.21 rating and 2.74 million viewers at 8 PM and Law & Order: SVU (R) improving slightly to a 0.23 rating and 2.60 million viewers at 9 PM. Against that backdrop, The Hunting Party at 10 PM delivered a 0.19 rating and 1.99 million viewers, a better showing than some original competition and enough to rise behind the repeat-led schedule.
Fox also had a noteworthy night, especially with Going Dutch at 9:30 PM. The comedy reached a 0.19 rating and 920,000 viewers, which tied its season high, while Next Level Chef at 8 PM landed at 0.22 and 1.72 million viewers and Animal Control at 9 PM came in at 0.20 and 1.12 million.
ABC, CW, and other night-of results
ABC relied on repeats throughout the evening, starting with 9-1-1 (R) at 8 PM with a 0.17 rating and 2.51 million viewers. A later repeat, 9-1-1: Nashville (R), posted a 0.15 rating and 2.04 million viewers at 9 PM, while RJ Decker (R) at 10 PM drew a 0.10 rating and 1.38 million viewers.
The CW remained at the lower end of the chart, with Scrabble at 8 PM drawing a 0.06 rating and 390,000 viewers and Trivial Pursuit at 9 PM rising slightly to a 0.07 rating and 500,000 viewers. Elsewhere, Elsbeth on CBS held 0.15 in the demo and 3.47 million viewers at 10 PM, adding another steady result for the network even as its earlier Thursday lineup softened.
Cable also posted several notable numbers
On cable, Fox News’ Gutfeld! led the night with a 0.18 rating and 3.13 million viewers, while Hannity followed with a 0.15 rating and 3.16 million viewers. ESPN’s NHL coverage drew a 0.15 rating and 610,000 viewers, and Bravo’s Real Housewives of Beverly Hills posted a 0.11 rating and 740,000 viewers.
CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins finished at 0.08 and 850,000 viewers, while MSNOW’s Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell drew 0.08 and 1.77 million viewers. AEW: Collision delivered 0.08 and 470,000 viewers on TNT, and NewsNight on CNN reached 0.07 and 760,000 viewers as the evening closed with a broad spread of cable audiences.
