Syndication Ratings: Soccer, Golf Drives Down Shows

Fox’s coverage of the 2018 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament and of the U.S. Open Golf preempted many syndies in the week ended June 17, causing many shows to drop to new season lows.

In daytime, CBS Television Distribution's Dr. Phil, in reruns all week, slipped 10% to a 2.7 live plus same day household ratings average, according to Nielsen Media Research. That was still a 4% improvement over the same week last year.

In addition, Phil extended its streak of first-place finishes among the talkers to 93 straight weeks with two ties. Among daytime’s key demographic of women 25-54, Phil was first with a 1.1.

Disney-ABC’s Live with Kelly and Ryan dipped 5% to a new season-low 2.0 after being bumped into post-midnight time periods in favor of World Cup coverage on numerous Fox-owned stations.

That tied for second place with Warner Bros.’ Ellen DeGeneres, which picked up 5% to a 2.0. NBCUniversal’s Maury remained at a season-low 1.3 for a second straight week. Rounding out the top five was NBCU’s Steve, which aired repeats for part of the week and eased 8% to a new season-low 1.1.

Further back, CTD’s Rachael Ray retreated 9% to a new season-low 1.0, tying NBCU's conflict talkers Jerry Springer, which has ceased production, and Steve Wilkos. Both Springer and Wilkos were unchanged week to week at season–low levels and down 23% and 17%, respectively, from last year at this time.

Related: 'Jerry Springer' Moving to The CW This Fall

Sony Pictures Television’s Dr. Oz, which premiered in 2009, dropped 10% to a new series-low 0.9.

Debmar-Mercury’s Wendy Williams, which airs on many large-market Fox-owned stations, was retitled as Wendy Williams-World Cup in order to keep the week’s ratings out of the show’s regular-season average. That turned out to be the right call as the retitled show plunged 33% to a 0.8 in repeats.

Warner Bros.’ Crime Watch Daily with Chris Hansen, which is expected to conclude its run after this season, gave back 11% to a new season-low 0.8 tying Wendy. CTD’s The Doctors flat-lined at its season-low 0.7 for the eighth consecutive week. NBCU’s already canceled Harry fell 14% to a new series-low 0.6. Warner Bros.’ The Real relinquished 29% to a new series-low 0.5.

Elsewhere, the first-run rookies all were down or flat.

CTD’s DailyMailTV delivered a 10% decline to a 0.9, matching its season low, and remained at a 0.5 among women 25-54.

Twentieth’s Page Six TV declined 14% to a 0.6 in households, matching its season low and staying at a 0.3 in the demo.

Entertainment Studios’ Funny You Should Ask was unchanged at a 0.4 and a 0.2 in the demo. Disney-ABC’s Pickler & Ben, which is produced by Scripps, posted its usual 0.3 for the 39 straight week but fell 50% to a 0.1 in the demo.

CTD’s Judge Judy, partially in repeats, led all of syndication for the 17 straight week with a 6.6, off 6% from the prior week and up 5% from last year at this time.

CTD’s Hot Bench was in reruns on four out of the five days but held steady at a 2.2, up 10% from last year. Bench ranked third in daytime behind only Judy and Dr. Phil.

Warner Bros.’ People’s Court sagged 7% to a 1.4. Warner Bros.’ JudgeMathis, which has been on the air since 1999, hit a new series-low 0.9, tumbling 10% for the week. Twentieth’s Divorce Court stayed at a 0.8. Trifecta’s Judge Faith was flat for the fourth straight week at a 0.6.

Debmar-Mercury’s Family Feud dipped 2% to a 6.0 to lead the games, while CTD’s Wheel of Fortune inched up 2% from a season low in the prior round to a 5.5 to outrate sister show Jeopardy! for the first time since April 2. Jeopardy! also dipped 2% to a new season-low 5.4.

Disney-ABC’s Who Wants to be a Millionaire broke even, repeating its season-low 1.5 for a second straight week.

Disney-ABC’s RightThisMinute moved up 8% to a 1.4. NBCU’s off-network true-crime strip Dateline remained at a 1.3 for fourth consecutive week.

Among magazines, CTD’s Inside Edition perked up 4% to a 2.9 to reclaim the magazine lead, while CTD’s Entertainment Tonight pulled back 3% to a 2.8. Warner Bros.’ TMZ, NBCU’s Access, Warner Bros.’ Extra and Trifecta’s Celebrity Page all were steady at a 1.2, 1.1, 1.1, 0.2, respectively.

Warner Bros.’ The Big Bang Theory faded 5% to a new season-low 4.2 but still lead the off-network sitcoms. Twentieth’s Last Man Standing and Modern Family, SPT’s rookie The Goldbergs and Twentieth’s FamilyGuy all were unchanged at a 2.0, 2.0, 1.6 and 1.5, respectively. Warner Bros.’ Two and a Half Men moved down 7% to a 1.4. Warner Bros.’ Mike& Molly eroded 8% to a new series-low 1.2. Warner Bros.’ 2 Broke Girls and Twentieth’s The Cleveland Show remained at a 1.1 and 1.0, respectively. SPT’s Seinfeld shrank 9% to a 1.0 tying Cleveland.

Among the off-net rookies, Warner Bros.’ Mom was on par with the prior week’s 0.8, while CTD’s The Game scored a 0.4 for the 19 time in 20 weeks. 

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.