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February 16, 2021
 

Ratings Delays Due to Presidents Day Holiday

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Written by: Mitch Metcalf
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The Presidents Day holiday will cause delays for national television ratings (live+same day cable and broadcast) for several days.  As a rule of thumb, national holidays that close banks, stock markets or post offices also impact Nielsen ratings (MLK Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s). After this delay, we will enter the longest period of the year between holiday delay weeks (mid-February through early June), a few weeks longer than the period between Labor Day and Thanksgiving.

This is how the ratings should roll out the next week or so. We will update this schedule if anything changes.  (All times Pacific.)

  • Friday Feb 12 nationals available Tuesday Feb 16 by 2 pm
  • Saturday Feb 13 nationals available Wednesday Feb 17 by 8 am
  • Sunday Feb 14 nationals available Wednesday Feb 17 by 8 am
  • Monday Feb 15 nationals available Wednesday Feb 17 by 2 pm
  • Tuesday Feb 16 nationals available Thursday Feb 18 by 8 am
  • Wednesday Feb 17 nationals available Friday Feb 19 by 8 am
  • Thursday Feb 18 nationals available Monday Feb 22 by 8 am

The schedule will return to normal with the release of Friday Feb 19 cable and broadcast nationals by 2 pm Monday Feb 22.

As usual, the “fast affiliate nationals” will continue to be released each morning at 8 am for the previous night’s preliminary prime time ratings on the broadcast networks.

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About the Author

Mitch Metcalf
MITCH METCALF has been tracking every US film release of over 500 screens (over 2300 movies and counting) since the storied weekend of May 20, 1994, when Maverick and Beverly Hills Cop 3 inspired countless aficionados to devote their lives to the art of cinema. Prior to that, he studied Politics and Economics at Princeton in order to prepare for his dream of working in television. He has been Head of West Coast Research at ABC, then moved to NBC in 2000 and became Head of Scheduling for 11 years.