‘Prodigal Son’ Leads Newcomers As ‘The Voice’ & ‘9-1-1’ Top Ratings On Slow Premiere Monday

As the TV industry eagerly anticipates the launch of Disney+ this November, followed by HBO Max and Peacock early next spring, the traditional broadcast networks kicked off their new seasons on Monday night with modest fanfare. The latest Live+Same Day ratings, while no longer the gold standard for measuring a show’s success, still offer insight into which series are capturing the audience’s attention.

New Series Premieres:

• Prodigal Son (Fox) debuted with a 1.0 rating in the 18-49 demographic and drew in 4.2 million viewers.
• Bluff City Law (NBC) opened with a 0.8 rating and attracted 4.8 million viewers.
• Bob Hearts Abishola (CBS), benefiting from an upward adjustment in the finals, garnered a 0.9 rating in the 18-49 demo and was watched by 5.9 million viewers.
• All Rise (CBS) premiered with a 0.7 rating and 6 million viewers.
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Returning series like Fox’s 9-1-1 held steady, standing out in a sea of declines. With its highly anticipated season premiere culminating in a tsunami cliffhanger, 9-1-1 defied the downward trend seen elsewhere. The show maintained a 1.6 rating in the 18-49 demographic and was viewed by 7.1 million people, matching its performance from last fall. It was the highest-rated scripted series of the night and achieved its largest Live+Same Day audience for a regularly scheduled episode.

A Shift in Viewing Habits: The days when the start of a new broadcast season was a major event seem to be fading. With year-round fresh scripted content now available across multiple platforms, viewers are less inclined to watch shows live. Instead, they are turning to on-demand options, resulting in the lowest Live+Same Day ratings for a Premiere Monday ever. Not a single show managed to break the 2.0 rating mark in the coveted 18-49 demographic.

NBC’s The Voice led the night in the demo with a 1.7 rating and 8.8 million viewers. However, even this long-running favorite saw another season-premiere low, down double digits from last year’s opener.

Meanwhile, Chuck Lorre’s new comedy, Bob Hearts Abishola, was a bright spot for CBS. After adjustments, it tied with The Neighborhood as CBS’s top-rated program of the night in the 18-49 demo and emerged as the network’s most-watched comedy.

As the TV industry eagerly anticipates the launch of Disney+ this November, followed by HBO Max and Peacock early next spring, the traditional broadcast networks kicked off their new seasons on Monday night with modest fanfare. The latest Live+Same Day ratings, while no longer the gold standard for measuring a show’s success, still offer insight…