Primetime Ratings: NBC Wins With ‘Billboard Music Awards’

NBC took the top spot in Sunday prime ratings, as the Billboard Music Awards paced the network to an easy win with a 1.8 in viewers 18-49, per the Nielsen overnights, and a 7 share. In second was ABC at 1.0/4.

The Billboard Awards did a 2.1 (it later hit 2.4 in Nielsen's fast officials), leading out of Dateline, up 50% at 0.9. Last year’s Billboard Awards, which aired on ABC, rated a 2.3. In 2016, the Billboards did a 3.1.

On ABC, America’s Funniest Home Videos fell 25% to 0.9, then American Idol slipped 19% to 1.3. The Idol champ is crowned tonight, with Caleb Lee Hutchinson, Gabby Barrett and Maddie Poppe in the running. Deception was down 14% to 0.6.

CBS did a 0.8/3. 60 Minutes rated a 0.8 before the two-hour NCIS: Los Angeles finale did a 0.8. Madam Secretary scored a 0.6. All three shows were flat with last week.

Fox was at 0.7/3. Bob’s Burgers rated a level 0.7 and The Simpsons a 0.8, down 11%. Brooklyn Nine-Nine rated a flat 0.8 and Family Guy dropped 10% to 0.9, then another Bob’s Burgers scored a 0.8, same as last week.

Univision rated a 0.4/2 and Telemundo a 0.3/1, same as they did last week.

Pictured: Kelly Clarkson with Salt-n-Pepa and En Vogue during the 2018 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. 

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.