The networks aired repeats last night due to the NFC Championship Game on FOX but the network did use the game to premiere one of its new midseason shows and the results were fairly decent, albeit with a few caveats.
The NFC title game itself was down about 12 percent in metered-market households (24.4 vs. 27.6) vs. CBS’ primetime AFC Championship broadcast last year. This could explain why the launch of The Resident wasn’t as huge as expected but it still performed admirably. The premiere following the NFC Championship is currently tied with The Orville for the second-best series premiere this season, and will probably be alone in second place (behind Young Sheldon) after time zone adjustments. The premiere currently has a 2.7 in the 18-49 demo and 8.81 million viewers. The show is even likely to adjust up as high as 3.0 when the final numbers are released.
Now here is that caveat: The show’s 2.7 rating among adults 18-49 will end up among the lowest post NFC Champion episodes this decade. In today’s current climate where live viewing is subsiding, the result isn’t too bad but the real test will be how it performs tonight in its regular timeslot. It’s likely not going to score this high but FOX should be pleased with anything from a 1.1 or higher following Lucifer.
