With NBC on the sidelines this year, Fox’s first live holiday musical—A Christmas Story Live!—couldn’t measure up to the ratings of other recent live musical broadcasts. Sunday’s telecast drew 4.48 million total viewers—the lowest total of any broadcast show Sunday night—and a 1.5 rating in the 18-49 demo. (Adweek)
The holiday special, and the sixth live musical to air on the Big Four in recent years, suffered in the face of football on two networks and only barely matched ABC’s annual encore airing of The Sound Of Music in early ratings. (THR / Live Feed)
At least Fox can take some solace in the fact Christmas Story was a top trend on social media Sunday night. It has to be noted that the fairly successful Grease Live on Feb. 1, 2016 did not face a Sunday Night Football, as A Christmas Story Live! did, but a fourth-place finish for Fox Sunday night may have the net reconsidering this whole live musical thing. (Deadline)