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Ratings: FX’s “The Americans” Hits L+SD Viewership Low For Season Finale; Faced NBA Finals

The Americans [FX Networks]

Facing competition from the NBA Finals, Wednesday’s fourth season “The Americans” finale fell to a series low in live+same-day viewership.

According to live+same-day data posted by Showbuzz, the episode drew a 0.21 adults 18-49 rating and 768,000 total viewers. The demo rating ties a series low, while the viewership mark represents a new one. Last week’s episode drew a 0.31 and 0.93 million viewers.

In addition to the highly rated basketball competition, “The Americans” faced a DVR snafu: some cable systems had an earlier FX program erroneously listed as the first-run of Wednesday’s “Americans” finale, meaning the actual broadcast would have been flagged as a re-run.

While the issue doubtfully made a huge impact, it potentially presented some “Americans” fans from successfully recording — and then watching — the show before the L+SD deadline.

FX has also spoken on the record about its disinterest in live+same-day ratings. Citing changes in viewership patterns, FX does not evaluate performance until data from time-shifted viewership is available.

“The Americans,” moreover, is not living or dying by ratings. Ratings certainly still matter from a business standpoint, but when it comes to the show’s fate, FX has already ordered two final seasons (consisting of 13 and 10 episodes, respectively).

Written by Brian Cantor

Brian Cantor is the editor-in-chief for Headline Planet. He has been a leading reporter in the music, movie, television and sporting spaces since 2002.

Brian's reporting has been cited by major websites like BuzzFeed, Billboard, the New Yorker and The Fader -- and shared by celebrities like Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj.

Contact Brian at brian.cantor[at]headlineplanet.com.

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