Ratings: Broadcast Series Drop Against Football And Baseball On Cable

http://www.deadline.com/2010/10/ratings-rat-race-broadcast-series-drop-against-football-and-baseball-on-cable/

It's no longer carried by a broadcast network, but Monday Night Football continues to wreak havoc on the broadcasters' Monday lineups. Last night's Minnesota Vikings vs. NY Jets on ESPN as well as the MLB playoffs on TBS (Braves vs. Giants) were probably responsible for some of the ratings declines on the major networks which continue as we enter Week 4 of the season.

NBC's The Event (2.2/5) was down 8% from last week, finishing third in the 9 PM hour and posting its lowest rating to date. That is in no way a good number for a high-end drama like The Event. But on the positive side, the show has been logging significant DRV numbers (27.8% increase in Live+7 numbers for premiere week), it is still running ahead of last season's slot occupant Trauma (1.8) and posted the lowest week-to week decline among freshman series last night. Chase at 10 PM did a 1.5/4 in 18-49, down 12% from last week. That's below the 1.6 rating NBC logged in the hour with the Jay Leno Show a year ago. Meanwhile, Chuck (1.9/5) at 8 PM held steady from last week.

There was a clear divide between the declines for new and returning series on CBS last night: they were small for veterans and larger for rookies. How I Met Your Mother (3.4/9) at 8 PM was down 3%, followed by Rules of Engagement (3.0/8, flat) and Two and a Half Men (4.3/10, down 4% for the comedy's lowest-rated fall telecast). Mike & Molly (3.5/9) was down 10% for a still-excellent 81% hold, while Hawaii Five-0 (3.1/8) was down 11% and lost the hour to Castle in the fast nationals but is expected to come out on top when final ratings are released. Like The Event, Hawaii Five-0 is a major DVR draw, getting a 28.2% ratings bump in Live+7 ratings for premiere week.

ABC's fast nationals were inflated by NFL coverage in Minneapolis. Dancing with the Stars (4.1/10) was down 5%, while Castle (3.2/8) currently runs 23% higher than last week but its numbers were double-inflated by football preemption and Dancing overrun.

Both Fox dramas, House (3.6/10) and Lie to Me (1.9/5), were down 10% from last week.