Last night was dominated by ESPN, whose airing of the BCS CHAMPIONSHIP GAME may beat all the broadcast networks combined, despite a number that trailed off as Alabama’s irreversible destruction of Notre Dame became clear. 18-49 numbers aren’t yet available, but early household ratings indicate the game could be up 10% from 2012, when it was the highest rated cable telecast of the year.
NBC: THE BIGGEST LOSER was down half a ratings point from its Sunday “preview” to 2.4, which (barely) won the night but faced reruns on CBS. DECEPTION premiered with 2.0, which, at least in preliminary numbers, again was enough to narrowly beat ABC and the CBS repeat. The question for Deception is what will happen in the next few weeks when it has to air against regular competition.
ABC: THE BACHELOR’s season premiere was 2.3, which was essentially even with last year (although technically the 0.1 decline made it the lowest-rated premiere for the show ever). Facing a CBS rerun, CASTLE was up 0.2 to 1.9.
FOX: Say farewell to THE MOB DOCTOR, which vanished with a 0.9. That followed the same number for a BONES rerun.
CBS: On a night of reruns, the 9PM 2 BROKE GIRLS did best with a 1.8.
CW: Reruns at 0.4/0.3.
Tonight is the first post-holiday night when all the networks have fresh programming (although in CW’s case, that means the final burn-off of EMILY OWENS MD). Cable will be busy too, with the season premiere of JUSTIFIED on FX, and the newly relocated COUGAR TOWN making a home at TBS. The most important event of the night, though, is at 11:35PM, when JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE will join the big boys in the prime late-night talk-show slot.
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