Syndication Ratings: 'Access Hollywood' Earns Ratings Gold From Olympics Coverage

Rest of syndication suffers against NBC's multi-network coverage of summer games

By Paige Albiniak -- Broadcasting & Cable, 8/14/2012 1:47:36 PM

If only Access Hollywood could cover the Olympics every week.

Boosted by its live-from-London Olympics' coverage, NBCUniversal's entertainment magazine scored its best ratings in four-and-a-half years, hitting a season-high 2.7 live plus same day household rating, up 50% for the week and 69% from last year.

Access Hollywood benefited from airing on many NBC stations immediately preceding NBC's Olympic Zone pre-show and leading into NBC's primetime coverage of the first full week of the summer games, which included the Fierce Five competing in women's gymnastics as well as many winning swims by Olympic champions Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte and Missy Franklin.

Besides Entertainment Studios' America's Court, Access Hollywood was the only show that benefited from the Olympics. For nearly every other show, competing against the games was a non-starter.

CTD's magazine leader Entertainment Tonight dropped 16% to a new season-low 3.1. CTD's Inside Edition fell 7% to a 2.7, giving Access Hollywood a rare tie for second place. Warner Bros.' TMZ declined 5% to a 1.8, but because that show airs mostly in late-fringe on Fox-owned stations, it didn't take much of a hit. CTD's The Insider decreased 13% to a new season-low 1.3. Nielsen broke out Warner Bros.' Extra from the ratings due to massive preemptions in many markets, meaning it recorded no rating for the week.

The Summer Olympics also demolished daytime. NBCU's conflict talker, Maury, fell to its lowest rating since early April, declining 9% to a 2.1, but managed to be the top talker. CTD's' usual leader, Dr. Phil, was heavily preempted, and lost 21% to fall to a new season-low 1.9. Disney-ABC's Live! with Kelly tumbled 26% to a 1.7, the show's lowest rating in more than 20 years.

NBCU's Jerry Springer was down 13% to a 1.3. NBCU's Steve Wilkos shrank 8% to a 1.2. Debmar-Mercury's Wendy Williams was flat at a 0.8, while CTD's Rachael Ray, Warner Bros.' Ellen, CTD's The Doctors and Sony's Dr. Oz all were broken out due to preemptions.

Among the rookies, Warner Bros.' Anderson was preempted in 55 markets and thus also found itself broken out. Debmar-Mercury's Jeremy Kyle was flat at a 0.5, while ES' We the People was broken out. CTD's late-night dating show, Excused, eased 14% to a 0.6.

CTD's top court show, Judge Judy, retreated 10% from the prior week to a 5.7, a new season low for the queen of court but still good enough to be the top-rated show in first-run syndication.

CTD's Judge Joe Brown slipped 4% to a 2.4. Warner Bros.' People's Court yielded 5% to a 1.8. Warner Bros.' Judge Mathis was flat at a 1.4. Twentieth's Judge Alex dropped 7% to a 1.3, tying Twentieth's Divorce Court, which was flat. ES' America's Court was one of the few shows to see an increase, climbing 13% to a 0.9.

The game shows also took a hit. CTD's Wheel of Fortune slowed 10% from the previous week to a new season-low 5.4. CTD's Jeopardy! faded 12% to a new season-low 4.5. Debmar-Mercury's Family Feud faded 13% to a 2.8. Disney-ABC's Who Wants to be a Millionaire was marked down 21% to a new season-low 1.9.

Warner Bros.' The Big Bang Theory declined 6% from the prior week to a 5.9 but remained syndication's top-rated show. Warner Bros.' Two and a Half Men sank 8% to a new season-low 4.7. Twentieth's Family Guy was unchanged at a 3.8. Twentieth's How I Met Your Mother moved 14% lower to a 2.4. Twentieth's King of the Hill was flat at a 2.3. Sony's Seinfeld stumbled 9% to a new season-low 2.0. Warner Bros.' Friends fell 14% to a 1.8, tying CTD's Everybody Loves Raymond, which relinquished 10% to fall to a new season-low 1.8.