TV Ratings: NBC’s ‘Chicago’ Trio Takes Over Wednesday Primetime

NBC’s “Chicago” crossover trio, which consists of the three dramas “Chicago Med,” “Chicago Fire,” and “Chicago PD,” took up the top three slots in Wednesday’s overnight primetime numbers— again. In the last two weeks, they pulled the same triumph (and in the same order), dominating total viewers and all key demos among the Big 4 networks.

The fast affiliate ratings from Nielsen+Live Same Day indicate that a new episode of the third installment of executive producer Dick Wolf’s franchise, “Chicago Med,” drew a solid 1.0 in the adults ages 18-49 key demo and approximately 7.30 million viewers at 8 p.m. Brother series “Chicago Fire” was runnerup to the medical drama in the key demo, which ran at 9 p.m. and drew a 0.9 rating and 7.18 million viewers. Closing out the NBC trio at 10 p.m. was a new episode of “Chicago P.D.,” which earned a 0.8 in the 18-49 demographic and 6.02 million viewers.

Elsewhere on television, ABC dropped a new episode of “The Goldbergs,” which obtained a 0.5 in the key demo and 3.09 million viewers during its 8 p.m. showtime, followed by a new episode of “American Housewife” at 8:30 (0.5, 2.61). Moreover, ABC ran a new episode of “The Conners” at 9 p.m. (0.5, 3.53), and a new episode of “Call Your Mother” in the next half-hour slot (0.3, 2.32). The network also screened a new episode of “For Life” at 10 p.m., which scored a 0.3 in the key demo and 1.36 million viewers.

CBS ran a “Super Bowl Greatest Commercials 2021” special in the 8-9 p.m. timeslot that drew a 0.6 in the 18-49 demo and attracted 5.03 million viewers. From 9-10 p.m., the network aired a rerun of “SEAL Team,” and in the next hour-long telecast window, a rerun of “S.W.A.T.”

The 8 p.m. airing of Fox’s latest costumed talent competition “The Masked Dancer” received a 0.5 rating in the 18-49 demo and 2.66 million viewers. The 9 p.m. airing of the latest iteration of “Name That Tune” on Fox got a 0.4 in the key demo and about 2.3 million viewers.

Over on the Spanish language giants, Univision dropped new episodes of Mexican telenovelas “Vencer el desamor” at 8 p.m. (0.4, 1.52), and “Imperio de Mentiras” at 9 p.m. (0.3, 1.25). At 10 p.m., Univision ran a new episode of Brazilian telenovela “A Dona do Pedaço (Dulce Ambición),” which drew a 0.3 in the key demo and about 1.1 million viewers. Throughout the evening, Telemundo ran a new episode of the athletic skill and endurance competition series “Exatlón Estados Unidos” (0.2, 0.91) at 8 p.m., as well as the new Silvia Navarro-fronted telenovela “La Suerte de Loli,” at 9 p.m. (0.3, 1.1).  Telemundo Global Studios-produced telenovela “Buscando a Friday” also aired a new episode last night at 10 p.m., scoring a 0.3 in the key demo and 921,000 viewers.

Additionally, The CW aired a new episode of “Riverdale” at 8 p.m., which earned a 0.1 rating in the key demo and drew 0.56 million viewers, and a new episode of “Nancy Drew” the following hour, which obtained a 0.1 rating in the key demo (a 25% boost compared to last week’s airing), and 0.48 million viewers.

Overall on Wednesday night, NBC was number one in the key, adults ages 18-49 demographic, obtaining a 0.9 rating and 6.83 million viewers. Runnerup was Fox in the key demo (0.5), but not in viewers (2.47 million)— that placing belonged to CBS for overnight rankings, which drew an average of 0.3 in the key demo and nearly 3 million viewers. ABC came in third in the key, adults ages 18-49 demographic, securing a rating of 0.4 and 2.4 million viewers. Up next were Univision and Telemundo, which tied for fourth place in the ratings with CBS, each getting a 0.3, but Univision ended the night with slightly more viewers (1.3 million) versus Telemundo (0.95 million). The CW was ranked at the bottom with a 0.1 rating and less than half a million viewers (about 516,000).