Which was the highest-rated Friday night newsmagazine for November sweeps? It depends on how you look at it.
ABC’s 20/20 was tops for Nov. 2019 sweeps among adults 25-54, the preferred demographic among advertisers of news, and among adults 18-49, the go-to demo for advertisers of entertainment.
Dateline, which moved from its 1 hour format (10 – 11 p.m.) back to 2 hours this fall (9 – 11 p.m.), was No. 1 in total viewers. The NBC newsmagazine posted +23% growth in total viewers and +7% growth among adults 25-54 vs. the prior November sweep period. The ABC newsmagazine also posted year-over-year growth, +14% in total viewers and +22% among adults 25-54.
Nov. 2019 marks Dateline’s fourth November sweep win in a row over 20/20 among total viewers, while 20/20 posted its strongest November performance in 3 years (since Nov. 2016).
November 2019 sweep:
Network | Total Viewers | P25-54 | P18-49 Imps |
NBC | 4,703,000 | 987,000 | 686,000 |
ABC | 4,000,000 | 1,005,000 | 689,000 |
If one looks at the genre in its entirety, CBS’ 48 Hours continues to average more total viewers than Dateline and 20/20, and is traditionally the most-watched non-sports show in Saturday prime time.
Source: The Nielsen Company, NTI Total Viewers, Adults 25-54. Sweeps based on Live+7/Most Current: November 2019 Sweep (10/31 – 11/27/19), November 2018 Sweep (10/25 – 11/21/18). Sweep periods (November, February, May and July). NOTE: Due to the digital transition, the 2009 February sweep was 3/5 – 4/1/09. Averages based on regular telecasts.