Many shows drop to season and series lows in week ended July 1

In its third week, the 2018 FIFA World Cup continued to trample syndication with most shows hitting season and series lows as they faced preemptions and strong competition in the week ended July 1 leading into what was a long Fourth of July weekend for many viewers.

In addition, there were also partial preemptions on June 28 for coverage of the newsroom shooting in Annapolis, Maryland.

Magazines were the only genre in which all of the top-four shows avoided declines, with preemptions for World Cup coverage much less prevalent in access than daytime.

CBS Television Distribution’s Entertainment Tonight and Inside Edition both held steady to tie at a 2.8 live plus same day national rating, according to Nielsen Media Research. Compared to last year, the shows grew 8% and 17%, respectively. NBCU’s Access and Warner Bros.’ TMZ also both held despite some preemptions to tie at a 1.1. Warner Bros.’ Extra, which was preempted in many large markets, slipped 9% to a new season-low 1.0. Trifecta’s Celebrity Page sank 33% — or one-tenth of a ratings point — to a 0.2.

Elsewhere in access, games were mixed. Debmar-Mercury’s Family Feud dipped 2% to a 6.2 but led all of syndication in households. CTD’s Jeopardy!, conversely, inched up 2% to a 5.7, while sister show Wheel of Fortune skidded 2% to a 5.5. Disney-ABC’s Who Wants to be a Millionaire rebounded 14% from a season low in the prior frame to a 1.6.

Disney-ABC’s viral video show RightThisMinute remained at its season-low 1.3. NBCU’s off-net true-crime strip Dateline dropped 8% to a 1.2.

CTD’s talk leader Dr. Phil was in repeats for the entire week, but held at a 2.8 to lead the field for the 95th straight week, with two ties. Among daytime’s key demographic of women 25-54, Phil was first in talk with a 1.2.

Disney-ABC’s Live with Kelly and Ryan, which was in the second week of its hiatus and aired only repeats and repackaged shows all week, slipped 5% to a new season-low 1.9, but remained the number-two talk show.

Warner Bros.’ The Ellen DeGeneres Show declined 11% to a new season-low 1.7. NBCU’s Maury stayed at its series-low 1.2 for a second week. NBCU’s Steve was steady at a 1.1. CTD’s Rachael Ray recovered 11% from a series low in the prior week to a 1.0. NBCU’s conflict talkers Jerry Springer, which is no longer in production, and Steve Wilkos were unchanged and tied at their season lows of 0.9. Sony Pictures Television’s Dr. Oz also remained at its series-low 0.9 for a third straight week.

Warner Bros.’ Crime Watch Daily with Chris Hansen, which will end after this season, and CTD’s The Doctors both were stable at season lows of 0.7, marking the tenth straight week for The Doctors at that rating.

Debmar-Mercury’s Wendy Williams World Cup Encore Episodes were unchanged at a 0.6. NBCU’s already-canceled Harry slid 17% to a new series-low 0.5, tying Warner Bros.’ heavily preempted The Real, which rebounded 25% off its series low set the prior week.

The first-run rookies remained at season lows as well, with CTD’s DailyMailTV delivering its third straight week at a 0.9 but recovering 25% to a 0.5 among women 25-54.

Twentieth’s Page Six TV posted a season-low 0.6 for the third straight week, with an unchanged 0.3 in the demo.

Entertainment Studios’ Funny You Should Ask held at a 0.4 and a 0.2 among women 25-54. Ratings for Disney-ABC’s Pickler & Ben, produced by E.W. Scripps, were reprocessed and unavailable.

CTD’s Judge Judy went into a full week of repeats against the World Cup and declined 3% to a new season low 6.1, one-tenth of a point behind the week’s overall leader, Family Feud.

CTD’s Hot Bench aired two days of repeats and was unchanged at a 1.8. Warner Bros.’ People’s Court crumbled 14% to a new series-low 1.2. Warner Bros.’ Judge Mathis remained at its series-low 0.9. Twentieth’s Divorce Court, which is moving production from Los Angeles to Atlanta, eroded 11% to a 0.8, matching its series low. Trifecta’s Judge Faith was flat at its season low 0.5.

Warner Bros.’ The Big Bang Theory dipped 2% to a 4.3. Twentieth’s Last Man Standing stumbled 5% to a 2.0, tying Twentieth’s Modern Family, which remained at its series low for a fourth straight week. SPT’s rookie The Goldbergs retreated 13% to a new season-low 1.4, tying Twentieth’s Family Guy, which gave back 7%. Warner Bros.’ Two and a Half Men sank 13% to a new series-low 1.3, down 41% from last year. Warner Bros.’ Mike and Molly was unchanged at its series-low 1.2 for a third week in a row. Twentieth’s The Cleveland Show regained 10% to a 1.1 after five straight weeks at a 1.0. Warner Bros.’ 2 Broke Girls stayed at its series-low 1.0 for a second week, tying Twentieth’s King of the Hill, which climbed 11%.

Warner Bros.’ rookie, Mom, moved back 13% to a 0.9, tying SPT’s Seinfeld, which shrank 10% to a new syndicated series low. CTD’s freshman, The Game, lost 25% to a new season-low 0.3.