'Dr. Oz' Scores Ratings Bump With Trump

After all the hype, Donald Trump gave Sony Pictures Television’s Dr. Oz a shot of adrenaline on Thursday, Sept. 15. Dr. Oz’s discussion with the Republican presidential nominee about his medical records as well as his national healthcare agenda delivered a 1.8 rating/6 share primary-run weighted metered market average in households, according to Nielsen Media Research.

That was up 64% in rating compared to Dr. Oz’s Sept. 15 time-period average in households of 1.1/3. It also was up 64% from Wednesday, Sept. 14, when the show averaged a 1.1/4.

Among daytime’s key demographic of women 25-54, the episode turned in a 0.5/4, up 25% from its year-ago time period average in the demo of 0.4/3. Trump, who polls less well among women than he does among men, didn’t appear to appeal much to daytime’s core audience.

Dr. Oz’s best performance with Trump came in Kansas City. There, the show turned in a 4.7/17 at 9 a.m. on ABC affiliate KMBC following ABC’s Good Morning America. That was up 81% over Dr. Oz’ time-period performance in the market last September.

Related: Donald Trump Did Discuss His Medical Records with Dr. Oz, Show Says Post-Taping

In Thursday’s episode, Dr. Mehmet Oz interviewed Trump for an hour, during which time they discussed Trump’s health and did a complete “review of systems,” mimicking a patient’s first-time visit to a general care physician. Trump shared with Dr. Oz the results of a recent physical, as well as the results of other significant tests and evaluations performed previously by Dr. Harold Bornstein, M.D., of Lenox Hill Hospital. 

Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, joined the show to discuss the childcare and maternity-leave initiative the Trump campaign announced earlier in the week.

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.