Rebecca Presents The Daily, Monthly: September 2020 Edition: Dancing with the Stars and The Masked Singer Return to Make Splashes, Fox News Battered by NFL and NBA
It's time for another edition of The Daily, Monthly. Here, I take a look at what won each night in the previous month, painting a picture of what ratings were like during the month and which networks and shows were thriving (and which aren't). September was a sports-filled month that also featured returns of two of TV's top shows. Keep reading to see how the month played out. Broadcast:
Date
#1 Show(s) (18-49)
18-49 of #1 Show
#1 Show (Viewers)
Viewers of #1 Show
Tuesday, September 1
NBA Playoffs: Jazz v. Nuggets (ABC)
1.2
America’s Got Talent (NBC)
6.403 million
Wednesday, September 2
Big Brother (CBS)
1.1
America’s Got Talent (NBC)
5.655 million
Thursday, September 3
Big Brother (CBS)
1.1
Big Brother (CBS)
4.223 million
Friday, September 4
WWE SmackDown (Fox)
0.6
20/20 (R) (ABC)
2.869 million
Saturday, September 5
NHL: Islanders v. Flyers (NBC)
0.9
NHL: Islanders v. Flyers (NBC)
2.957 million
Sunday, September 6
NBA Playoffs: Rockets v. Lakers (ABC)
2.0
60 Minutes (R) (CBS)
6.449 million
Monday, September 7
American Ninja Warrior (NBC)
0.6
American Ninja Warrior (NBC)
3.660 million
Tuesday, September 8
America’s Got Talent (NBC)
0.8
America’s Got Talent (NBC)
6.006 million
Wednesday, September 9
Big Brother (CBS)
1.1
America’s Got Talent (NBC)
5.504 million
Thursday, September 10
NFL: Texans v. Chiefs (NBC)
6.7
NFL: Texans v. Chiefs (NBC)
20.535 million
Friday, September 11
WWE SmackDown (Fox)
0.6
20/20 (ABC)
3.665 million
Saturday, September 12
College Football: Clemson v. Wake Forest (ABC)
0.9
College Football: Clemson v. Wake Forest (ABC)
3.461 million
Sunday, September 13
NFL Overrun (Fox)
7.9
NFL Overrun (Fox)
25.848 million
Monday, September 14
Dancing with the Stars (ABC)
1.3
Dancing with the Stars (ABC)
8.12 million
Tuesday, September 15
Big Brother (CBS)
1.1
America’s Got Talent (NBC)
5.943 million
Wednesday, September 16
55th Academy of Country Music Awards (CBS)
1.1
55th Academy of Country Music Awards (CBS)
6.822 million
Thursday, September 17
Big Brother (CBS)
1.0
Big Brother (CBS)
4.094 million
Friday, September 18
WWE SmackDown (Fox)
0.5
Report: Death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg (ABC)
4.351 million
Saturday, September 19
College Football: Miami v. Louisville (ABC)
1.1
College Football: Miami v. Louisville (ABC)
3.795 million
Sunday, September 20
NFL Overrun (CBS)
5.5
NFL Overrun (CBS)
18.874 million
Monday, September 21
NFL: Saints v. Raiders (ABC)
2.0
NFL: Saints v. Raiders (ABC)
7.984 million
Tuesday, September 22
Dancing with the Stars (ABC)
1.1
America’s Got Talent (NBC)
6.157 million
Wednesday, September 23
The Masked Singer (Fox)
1.6
America’s Got Talent (NBC)
6.569 million
Thursday, September 24
Big Brother (CBS)
1.1
Celebrity Family Feud (ABC)
5.264 million
Friday, September 25
Stanley Cup Game 1 (NBC)
WWE SmackDown (Fox)
0.6
20/20 (ABC)
3.940 million
Saturday, September 26
College Football: FL St. v. Miami (ABC)
0.8
48 Hours (CBS)
3.002 million
Sunday, September 27
NFL Overrun (Fox)
6.6
NFL Overrun (Fox)
22.789 million
Monday, September 28
Dancing with the Stars (ABC)
1.1
Dancing with the Stars (ABC)
6.871 million
Tuesday, September 29
Presidential Debate #1 (ABC)
3.2
Presidential Debate #1 (ABC)
12.620 million
Wednesday, September 30
NBA Finals Game 1 (ABC)
2.9
NBA Finals Game 1 (ABC)
7.410 million
There was another shakeup in the rankings as ABC soared to first place after a third-place finish in August. ABC won in both the 18-49 and total viewership metric, the first time its done either since The Daily, Monthly started in June. Its big September 18-49 victory can be credited to a few distinct shows. NBA airings gave them three 18-49 wins, as did the return of Dancing with the Stars. Dancing, perhaps bolstered by a buzzy cast that included Tiger King's Carole Baskin and a host shakeup, is rating far ahead of its 2019 season, and is easily posting one of the best year-to-year trends of 2020. Football broadcasts are also responsible for some of ABC's victories, with three college football games topping the night in September, and one special NFL broadcast on ABC also winning. Also assisting in making ABC the winningest network in 18-49 this month was their broadcast of the first 2020 presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, which shockingly beat the typically-dominant NBC in the ratings. In viewers, ABC saw wins with Dancing With the Stars, Celebrity Family Feud, college football and 20/20, as well as one-off events like the first 2020 debate, the NBA Finals, and coverage of the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. In all, these added up to ten 18-49 victories in September and twelve wins in total viewers. This big domination may not be long-lived, but one thing's for sure: ABC's September glory is impossible to deny.
CBS had a mixed month. Even with the second-most nightly 18-49 wins in September, it was still a heavy decline for them. As said above, it was their first month since this feature began that CBS didn't have the most viewership wins, and they didn't even take second. Big Brother was responsible for six of their eight 18-49 wins, but with its younger skew, it only gave CBS two wins in total viewership. The 55th ACMs delivered them an additional win in both metrics, as did an NFL overrun. Their last remaining viewership wins came from sturdy newsmagazines 60 Minutes and 48 Hours, which saw far fewer wins in this metric than they usually do.
Fox saw its best month since this feature began, with seven 18-49 wins and two viewership wins. Once again, their win total was boosted by Friday night WWE SmackDown broadcasts, with the show claiming four nightly victories in the 18-49 demo. TV's #1 show also returned this month, with The Masked Singer making its return. Though it wasn't on the high-end of the show's ratings, it was still a great performance that breathed life into broadcast again, giving Fox a single win this month in the 18-49 demo (its second episode saw mighty competition from the NBA Finals, stopping it from winning on that night). The other 18-49 wins, and both of Fox's viewership wins, came from NFL overruns.
NBC had another rough month in the rankings, dropping to last in terms of nightly wins in the 18-49 demographic. They accomplished a rare feat this month, in that each of their five wins comes from a different show. An NHL Playoff game, America's Got Talent, American Ninja Warrior, an NFL game and a Stanley Cup game each handed NBC an 18-49 victory. In viewership, they actually came in second out of the four broadcast networks with ten nightly wins. America's Got Talent made up for seven of these wins, while American Ninja Warrior and NHL and NFL games made up the other three wins. In all, a mixed bad for NBC.
After Big Brother was one of very few broadcast shows to surpass a 1.0 rating in August, September was a much stronger month. This can mostly be attributed to the return of the NFL and the returns of hit shows like Dancing With the Stars and The Masked Singer. The ratings picture was much healthier in September than in August, and it's likely to get even stronger in October with a full month of NFL, NBA Finals games, and continued broadcasts of some of TV's top shows.
Network
18-49 Wins
Viewership Wins
ABC
11
12
CBS
8
6
Fox
7
2
NBC
5
10
Cable:
Date
#1 Show(s) (18-49)
18-49 of #1 Show
#1 Show (Viewers)
Viewers of #1 Show
Tuesday, September 1
NBA Playoffs: Celtics v. Raptors (ESPN)
0.69
Tucker Carlson Tonight (Fox News)
4.907 million
Wednesday, September 2
NBA Playoffs: Thunder v. Rockets (ESPN)
1.73*
Tucker Carlson Tonight (Fox News)
4.793 million
Thursday, September 3
NBA Playoffs: Nuggets v. Clippers (TNT)
1.05
Tucker Carlson Tonight (Fox News)
4.799 million*
Friday, September 4
NBA Playoffs: Rockets v. Lakers (ESPN)
1.58*
NBA Playoffs: Rockets v. Lakers (ESPN)
3.896 million*
Saturday, September 5
NBA Playoffs: Nuggets v. Clippers (TNT)
1.14*
NBA Playoffs: Nuggets v. Clippers (TNT)
2.955 million
Sunday, September 6
90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After (TLC)
0.82*
90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After (TLC)
3.164 million
Monday, September 7
NBA Playoffs: Clippers v. Nuggets (TNT)
1.39*
Tucker Carlson Tonight (Fox News)
3.508 million
Tuesday, September 8
NBA Playoffs: Lakers v. Rockets (TNT)
2.02*
The Rachel Maddow Show (MSNBC)
4.997 million
Wednesday, September 9
NBA Playoffs: Raptors v. Celtics (ESPN)
1.32*
Hannity (Fox News)
4.798 million
Thursday, September 10
NBA Playoffs: Lakers v. Rockets (TNT)
0.98
Tucker Carlson Tonight (Fox News)
4.402 million
Friday, September 11
NBA Playoffs: Celtics v. Raptors (TNT)
1.87*
NBA Playoffs: Celtics v. Raptors (TNT)
4.691 million*
Saturday, September 12
NBA Playoffs: Rockets v. Lakers (ESPN)
1.41*
NBA Playoffs: Rockets v. Lakers (ESPN)
3.720 million*
Sunday, September 13
90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After (TLC)
1.00
90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After (TLC)
3.799 million
Monday, September 14
NFL: Steelers v. Giants (ESPN)
3.62*
NFL: Steelers v. Giants (ESPN)
10.762 million*
Tuesday, September 15
NBA Playoffs: Nuggets v. Clippers (ESPN)
2.16*
NBA Playoffs: Nuggets v. Clippers (ESPN)
5.226 million
Wednesday, September 16
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (Bravo)
0.44
Tucker Carlson Tonight (Fox News)
4.624 million
Thursday, September 17
NFL: Bengals v. Browns (NFL)
2.34*
NFL: Bengals v. Browns (NFL)
6.676 million*
Friday, September 18
NBA Playoffs: Nuggets v. Lakers (TNT)
1.98*
NBA Playoffs: Nuggets v. Lakers (TNT)
4.921 million*
Saturday, September 19
NBA Playoffs: Celtics v. Heat (ESPN)
1.44*
NBA Playoffs: Celtics v. Heat (ESPN)
3.810 million*
Sunday, September 20
NBA Playoffs: Nuggets v. Lakers (TNT)
1.25
90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After (TLC)
3.288 million
Monday, September 21
NFL: Saints v. Raiders (ESPN)
2.70*
NFL: Saints v. Raiders (ESPN)
7.451 million
Tuesday, September 22
NBA Playoffs: Lakers v. Nuggets (TNT)
2.04*
NBA Playoffs: Lakers v. Nuggets (TNT)
4.828 million
Wednesday, September 23
NBA Playoffs: Celtics v. Heat (ESPN)
1.76*
Tucker Carlson Tonight (Fox News)
4.861 million
Thursday, September 24
NFL: Dolphins v. Jaguars (NFL)
1.90*
NFL: Dolphins v. Jaguars (NFL)
5.430 million*
Friday, September 25
NBA Playoffs: Heat v. Celtics (ESPN)
1.72*
NBA Playoffs: Heat v. Celtics (ESPN)
4.366 million*
Saturday, September 26
NBA Playoffs: Nuggets v. Lakers (TNT)
1.85*
NBA Playoffs: Nuggets v. Lakers (TNT)
4.794*
Sunday, September 27
NBA Playoffs: Celtics v. Heat (ESPN)
1.36
NBA Playoffs: Celtics v. Heat (ESPN)
3.445 million
Monday, September 28
NFL: Chiefs v. Ravens (ESPN)
4.60*
NFL: Chiefs v. Ravens (ESPN)
14.019 million*
Tuesday, September 29
Presidential Debate #1 (Fox News)
3.36*
Presidential Debate #1 (Fox News)
17.812 million*
Wednesday, September 30
South Park Pandemic Special (Comedy Central)
1.16
Tucker Carlson Tonight (Fox News)
4.935 million
*Denotes program that was #1 in stated metric overall, topping the #1 show on broadcast as well as all other cable shows
It was a sporty month on cable. ESPN dominated the month with thirteen nightly wins in the 18-49 demographic, and nine in total viewership. Ten 18-49 wins come from NBA Playoff games, while three come from NFL games. In total viewership, it owes six of its wins to the NBA Playoffs and three to NFL games. Its closest 18-49 competitor was TNT, which won the night with NBA Playoffs coverage ten times in September in the 18-49 demo and five times in total viewership. NFL Network joined the pack for the first time with two nightly wins in both the 18-49 and total viewership metrics as Thursday Night Football made its return. In all, sporting broadcasts won twenty-five of thirty days in September in the 18-49 demo and fourteen times in total viewers.
Fox News took a massive hit this month after they dominated all summer long. Declines were already happening in August, but they fell off a cliff in terms of nightly wins in September. It's not really their fault. The competition was much harsher in September than in previous summer months, as they didn't face sports to such a magnitude as they did this month. Even with massive competition, they secured ten viewership wins, the most of any cable network in September, with Tucker Carlson Tonight and Hannity, as well as their coverage of the first 2020 presidential debate (their only winner in 18-49 ratings) giving them wins.
Another singular win came from Bravo's The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, keeping Bravo as a recurring appearance on the list. Comedy Central made their first appearance as a nightly winner with a South Park special. MSNBC stayed in the game with a win in total viewership for The Rachel Maddow Show's interview with Michael Cohen.
Network
18-49 Wins
Viewership Wins
ESPN
13
9
TNT
10
5
TLC
2
3
NFL
2
2
Fox News
1
10
Bravo
1
0
Comedy Central
1
0
MSNBC
0
1
What do you think about the ratings for the month of September? What shows and networks impressed you the most? Let us know in the comments and join me next month when I break down the ratings from across October! Make sure to vote in the poll below on who you think was the biggest winner of September!
