TV Ratings: 'So You Think You Can Dance' keeps FOX in first on Wednesday

Stanley Cup hockey puts NBC second in the demo

By Daniel Fienberg Thursday, Jun 2, 2011 11:55 AM

Mary Murphy, Nigel Lythgoe and Cat Deeley of 'So You Think You Can Dance'

Credit: FOX

Fast National ratings for Wednesday, June 1, 2011.

After dominating Wednesday nights all spring with "American Idol," FOX got an encouraging Wednesday premiere for "So You Think You Can Dance" and maintained its hold on the evening's ratings races.

Meanwhile, Game One of the Stanley Cup delivered OK demos and predictably soft overall numbers for NBC.

Among adults 18-49, FOX averaged a 3.0 rating for the night, easily beating NBC's 1.8 rating and the 1.7 rating for ABC in the key demographic. CBS' 1.3 and The CW's 0.5 rating followed.

Overall, FOX averaged an estimated 8.35 million viewers and a 4.9 rating/8 share, topping CBS' 4.1/7 and 6.21 million viewers. ABC's 3.2/5 and 5.08 million viewers followed, with NBC's 2.7/5 and 4.54 million viewers good enough for fourth. The CW averaged 1.235 million viewers and a 0.9/1.

8 p.m. - The first hour of "So You Think You Can Dance" auditions generated 7.765 million viewers and a 2.7 rating among adults 18-49, giving FOX the 8 p.m. hour. ABC was second with 5.38 million viewers for two episodes of "The Middle," which beat the 4.73 million viewers for CBS' "Mike & Molly" and "Rules of Engagement." NBC was fourth overall with the 4.2 million viewers for the start of the hockey game between Boston and Vancouver, but the Stanley Cup was second in the key demo with a 1.5 rating. The CW's "America's Next Top Model" averaged 1.24 million viewers.

9 p.m. - "So You Think You Can Dance" improved to 8.94 million viewers and a 3.3 rating among adults 18-49 in its second hour for FOX, as "SYTYCD" as up solidly from its Wednesday premiere last summer. CBS was second overall, but fourth in the demo with 7.07 million viewers and a 1.5 demo rating for "Criminal Minds." ABC's two episodes of "Modern Family" was third overall with 6.15 million viewers and second with a 2.2 demo rating. NBC's hockey improved to 4.54 million viewers and a 1.8 demo rating. The CW's "America's Next Top Model" was steady with 1.23 million viewers.

10 p.m. - CBS moved into first overall for the last hour of primetime, with "Blue Bloods" averaging 6.84 million viewers (but a 1.2 demo rating for third). NBC's hockey was up to 4.87 million viewers for second and won the hour with a 2.0 demo rating. On ABC, episodes of "Cougar Town" and "Happy Endings" averaged 3.72 million viewers and a 1.4 demo rating.

All ratings information comes from preliminary Fast National Nielsen data, which includes live and same-day DVR viewing. All numbers are subject to change, particularly in the case of live events.

Daniel Fienberg
Executive Editor

A long-time member of the TCA Board and a longer-time blogger of "American Idol," Dan Fienberg writes about TV, except for when he writes about movies or sometimes writes about the Red Sox. But never music. He would sound stupid talking about music.