Primetime Ratings: Bachelor Finale Comes Up Roses For ABC

Post finale "After the Rose" special draws top broadcast ratings for the night

By David Tanklefsky -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/3/2009 11:53:14 AM

Last night's much-hyped two-hour finale of the Bachelor, followed by a special Bachelor: After the Final Rose pulled big ratings for ABC and propelled them into first place for the night. The network won every time slot on the night.

The Bachelor's first hour earned a 4.9/12 with 14.3 million total viewers. CBS finished second at 8 p.m. with a 4.1/10, airing half-hour episodes of The Big Bang Theory (3.9/10) and How I Met Your Mother (4.2/10). 24 on Fox delivered a third-place 3.1/8. NBC finished fourth at 2.4/6 with Chuck, and the CW was fifth, programming a re-run of Gossip Girl that got a 0.5/1.

In the 9 p.m. hour The Bachelor increased its rating and viewership with a 5.9/13 and 16.6 million viewers. CBS got a 4.4/10 with Two and a Half Men (4.9/11) at 9 and Rules of Engagement (3.9/9) at 9:30. The second hour of 24 on Fox rose to a 3.5/8 but remained in third. NBC was again fourth at 3.2/7 with Heroes. The CW finished fifth at 0.5/1 with a One Tree Hill re-run.

ABC got its biggest numbers at 10, after the Bachelor finale with Bachelor: After the Final Rose which earned a 6.7/16 and topped the night with a 17.4 million viewer average. CBS finished second at 3.8/9 with CSI: Miami. Medium on NBC pulled a 2.4/6 and finished third.

Overall ABC pulled a 5.8/14 with its strongest hour coming at 10 p.m. with the Bachelor post-show. CBS' comedy-filled Monday did a strong 4.1/10 for second place. Fox finished third at 3.3/8. NBC was fourth with a 2.7/6, and the CW finished fifth with a 0.5/1. 

Talkback

» Submit Feedback

• I thought if ABC knew what was going to happen and it seemed it did not having any one there, you have no regard for peoples feelings. You made a complete fool of Melissa. I will never watch the bachelor again. I think both Chris and Jason are heartless spineless men. To allow someone to be so hurt and humiliate her so badly to get ratings. Sick and sad ABC has stooped so low.
  I will watch reruns of Law and Order from now on.
  A very upset viewer.

  
  patricia S - 3/3/2009 4:45:58 PM EST
» Submit Feedback

Related Content

• Topics
• Author

Primetime Ratings: ‘Bachelorette' Edges Out CBS Laughers

07/07/2009

Primetime Ratings: ‘Millionaire,' ‘Dating in the Dark' Stay Even on ABC

08/11/2009

Primetime Ratings: ABC's ‘Here Come the Newlyweds' Premiere Ties for Second at 10

05/26/2009

Primetime Ratings: CBS Comedies Rally Past Fox

10/13/2009

Primetime Ratings: ‘Bachelorette' is Hot Stuff for ABC

07/15/2009

Also by this author

• Primetime Ratings: 'Idol' Dips 12% But Still Dominates

• Golden Mike Award Raises $200,000 For Broadcasters in Need

• Arbitron's Bouvard Named IRTS Foundation Chairman

• Primetime Ratings: 'Parenthood' Slips, 'Lost' Finds Ground

• Garciaparra Retires, Joins ESPN As Analyst

Also by David Tanklefsky

Product Wire

• Resource Center
• Browse Categories
• Browse Companies

Featured Company

• Parks Associates

  

  Parks Associates is an internationally recognized market research and consulting company specializing in emerging consumer technology products and services. Founded in 1986, Parks Associates creates research capital for companies ranging from Fortune 500 to small start-ups throug..more

---

Most Recent Resources

• Robust Encoding, Transcoding and Streaming Systems – Critical B..
• Simultaneous Multi-Format Encoding for Efficient Content Repurpos..
• Broadband Services: The Turning Point
• Digital Lifestyles and the Service Provider
• IPTV and the Digital Home