“CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute” airs tonight at 8pmET. The event, now in its eighth year, happened two weeks ago, and was recorded for broadcast tonight. During the first few years, CNN Heroes aired live, and, while a noble cause, was not a ratings hit. As we wrote in Dec., 2007 about the first CNN Heroes, which aired on a Thursday night:
The almost three-hour broadcast rated poorly in both the A25-54 demo and total viewers. The event caused CNN to slide significantly into third place behind MSNBC during primetime in both categories. The show itself placed fourth in the A25-54 demo at 9pmET behind a Deal or No Deal repeat on CNBC.
But by 2011, “CNN Heroes” had finished first in the demo in its original Sunday night airing. This year’s event includes Benedict Cumberbatch, Nick Jonas, Kelly Ripa, Taye Diggs, Quvenzhané Wallis, and John Leguizamo, celebrating 10 Heroes and honoring the “CNN Hero of the Year.”