Primetime Ratings: ABC, CBS Split Win

ABC and CBS posted the top score in Sunday ratings, both doing 1.3 in viewers 18-49, per the Nielsen overnights, and a 5 share. That was better than the 0.9/3 that NBC put up.

ABC had American Idol from 8-10 p.m. at 1.8, down 22% from last week’s premiere, and drama Deception was down 31% from its premiere at 0.9.

CBS had an NCAA basketball overrun leading in to 60 Minutes, which was up 78% to 1.6. The premiere of drama Instinct, starring Alan Cumming, rated a 1.0. NCIS: Los Angeles slipped 11% to 0.8 and Madam Secretary did a flat 0.6.

On NBC, the third season premiere of Little Big Shots scored a 1.1, well down from the season two opener's 2.0. The premiere of Genius Junior did a 1.0 and Timeless was off a tenth of a point from last week’s season premiere at 0.7.

Fox did a 0.8/3. Bob’s Burgers rated a flat 0.7 and The Simpsons a 0.8. Brooklyn Nine-Nine returned up 29% for a 0.9 and Family Guy did a 1.0, before The Last Man on Earth scored a 0.7.

Univision rated a 0.5/2 and Telemundo a 0.3/1.

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.