Final 'Oprah' Hits Best Rating in 17 Years

All three final shows score high marks

By Paige Albiniak -- Broadcasting & Cable, 5/26/2011 12:20:58 PM

The final episode of CBS Television Distribution's The Oprah Winfrey Show delivered a 13.3 household rating, a number that combines the show's primary and double runs, in the overnight metered markets, reports CTD. That's the best number the show has delivered in more than 17 years, since an episode that aired on Feb. 21, 1994.

The show's weighted metered market primary-run average -- the more commonly-used calculation -- was an 11.8 rating/27 share. Oprah's best showing in the top-ten markets came in Atlanta, where it did a 16.1/35. The second-highest showing was in Philadelphia, where Oprah did a 13.6/34, followed by Chicago at a 13.4/38.

In fact, all three final episodes of Oprah scored expectedly high ratings, with Monday's show hitting an 8.8/21, and Tuesday's coming in at a 9.1/22.

Those numbers should make advertisers happy. National thirty-second spots in the final show went for approximately $1 million each, according to reports.

How the last three episodes of Oprah did nationally will be available in two weeks when the national syndication ratings are released.