Update: The 2016 People’s Choice Awards ceremony suffered significant year-to-year declines in adults 18-49 and total viewership.
Per final Nielsen data, Wednesday’s ceremony averaged a 1.3 adults 18-49 rating and 6.033 million total viewers. The numbers trail last year’s marks (1.8, 8.62 million) by 26% and 30%, respectively.
This year’s show, moreover, received stronger lead-in support in the adults 18-49 demographic (albeit not in total viewers). Whereas last year’s “The Mentalist” drew a 1.3 with 9.05 million viewers at 8PM, this year’s “2 Broke Girls”-“Mike & Molly” tandem respectively posted a 1.7 with 6.290 million and a 1.6 with 6.725 million.
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While it is not yet clear how the People’s Choice Awards 2016 ceremony fared in adults 18-49 and total viewership, it is clear that the show suffered a substantial year-to-year loss in household audience.
Per metered market data, Wednesday’s awards show averaged a 4.2 overnight household rating in the 9-11PM timeslot. Last year’s edition posted a considerably stronger 5.9.
In evaluating the decline, there will be a natural inclination to look at lead-in. On the surface, such an approach makes sense — last year’s show led out of “The Mentalist,” which drew a 5.9 overnight household rating, while this year’s show led out of the “2 Broke Girls” – “Mike & Molly” tandem, which drew a 4.0 and 4.3, respectively.
There are, however, two caveats to such an approach. For starters, the People’s Choice Awards ceremony carries a recognizable brand and should thus be able to draw its own audience. It should not live or die by its lead-in.
Additionally, because they are younger-skewing, “2 Broke Girls” and “Mike & Molly” likely compared respectably — if not favorably — to last year’s “The Mentalist” in adults 18-49 (1.3), even if “The Mentalist” was far stronger in households.
As such, there will not be an excuse if the adults 18-49 rating for this year’s People’s Choice ceremony fell substantially from last year’s 1.8.
Adults 18-49 and viewership data is due by 11:15AM ET.
