5 Jan 2016
Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) and Amy Farrah Fowler (Mayim Bialik), as virgins, make love for the first time on ‘The Big Bang Theory’ in Episode 9.11 The Opening Night Excitation. Image: WBEI/CBS
The Dec. 17 Broadcast Featuring Sheldon and Amy’s Big Romantic Night
Adds +7.18 Million Viewers With L+7
CBS Has Nine of the Week’s Top 10 Programs in Viewer Lift and
All of the Top 10 in Adult 18-49
CBS Moves Into First for the Week in Adults 18-49
THE BIG BANG THEORY set a new television record for the largest live + 7-day viewer lift, adding +7.18 million viewers, breaking the prior record of +6.95m for the series premiere of “How to Get Away With Murder” on Sept. 25, 2014.
THE BIG BANG THEORY’s Dec. 17 episode, featuring Sheldon and Amy romantically moving their relationship forward, increased +42% from its live + same day average (24.43m from 17.25m), making it the season’s most-watched episode of a scripted program.
THE BIG BANG THEORY’s +7.18 million viewer lift alone was greater than the total L+7 audience for 58 of the week’s 85 primetime broadcasts.
For the week ending Dec. 20, CBS had nine of the week’s top 10 programs in viewer lift and all of the top 10 in adults 18-49, also paced by THE BIG BANG THEORY with a gain of +2.9 ratings points, a +71% increase from live + same day (7.0 from 4.1). THE BIG BANG THEORY’s adults 18-49 lift would rank as the week’s #10 program in L+7 viewing.
For the week, CBS gained + 0.6 in adults 18-49 (+33% from live + same day) and moved ahead of NBC (2.4 vs. 2.2).
| Top 10 Programs in 7-Day Viewer Lift | |||||
| L+SD | L+7 | Lift | % Lift | ||
| 1. | BIG BANG THEORY, THE | 17.25 | 24.43 | 7.18 | 42% |
| 2. | NCIS | 15.53 | 19.99 | 4.46 | 29% |
| 3. | ELEMENTARY | 5.93 | 9.48 | 3.55 | 60% |
| 4. | NCIS: LOS ANGELES | 9.22 | 12.76 | 3.54 | 38% |
| 5. | SCORPION | 9.28 | 12.72 | 3.44 | 37% |
| 6. | LIMITLESS | 6.63 | 10.02 | 3.39 | 51% |
| 7. | NCIS: NEW ORLEANS | 12.09 | 15.44 | 3.35 | 28% |
| 8. | ADELE LIVE IN NEW YORK | 11.27 | 13.76 | 2.49 | 22% |
| 9. | SUPERGIRL | 7.28 | 9.55 | 2.27 | 31% |
| 10. | LIFE IN PIECES | 10.28 | 12.25 | 1.97 | 19% |
| Top 10 Programs in 7-Day A18-49 Lift | |||||
| L+SD | L+7 | Lift | % Lift | ||
| 1. | BIG BANG THEORY, THE | 4.1 | 7.0 | 2.9 | 71% |
| 2. | SCORPION | 1.8 | 2.8 | 1.0 | 56% |
| 2. | NCIS | 2.1 | 3.1 | 1.0 | 48% |
| 2. | LIMITLESS | 1.3 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 77% |
| 5. | NCIS: LOS ANGELES | 1.4 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 64% |
| 6. | SUPERGIRL | 1.5 | 2.3 | 0.8 | 53% |
| 6. | NCIS: NEW ORLEANS | 1.7 | 2.5 | 0.8 | 47% |
| 6. | LIFE IN PIECES | 2.2 | 3.0 | 0.8 | 36% |
| 6. | 2 BROKE GIRLS | 1.6 | 2.4 | 0.8 | 50% |
| 6. | ELEMENTARY | 1.0 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 80% |