Jesus Christ Superstar | Eric Liebowitz/NBC
Update: NBC’s “Jesus Christ Superstar: Live In Concert” was Sunday’s highest-rated and most-watched show on network television.
According to fast national data posted by Showbuzz, the live musical averaged a 1.7 rating and 9.54 million overall viewers from 8-10PM. Precise data for the final 23 minutes is not yet available.
Both numbers rank as the best for a network program Sunday night. ABC’s “American Idol” took second place in the demo with a 1.6 rating, while a viewer mark of 8.14 million positioned CBS’ “60 Minutes” as the night’s #2 show in total audience.
With cable included, “Jesus Christ Superstar” will presumably rank as the night’s #2 show in adults 18-49 (below AMC’s “The Walking Dead”). Its viewership crown will likely remain intact.
In terms of comparisons to other relevant live musicals, “Jesus Christ Superstar” drew a larger viewer figure but smaller demo rating than NBC’s December 2016 production of “Hairspray Live” (2.3, 9.05 million).
It outperformed FOX’s December 2017 “A Christmas Story Live” (1.5, 4.52 million). It also topped FOX’s 2016 showing of “The Passion” (1.6, 6.65 million), which aired on Easter Sunday.
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Promising early ratings have emerged for NBC’s “Jesus Christ Superstar: Live In Concert.”
Citing metered market data, NBC says the show drew a 6.0 overnight household rating from 8-10:15PM ET. It posted a 6.1 within the confines of the 8-10PM hour.
Enough for a head-to-head victory against ABC’s “American Idol” (4.5 from 8-10PM), the figure ranks as NBC’s best non-sports or Golden Globes telecast in the slot in three years.
It also matches the 6.0 drawn by “Hairspray Live,” NBC’s previous live musical, on Wednesday, December 7, 2016.
In terms of Sunday musicals, it outperformed FOX’s “A Christmas Story Live” (2.8 on December 17, 2017) and FOX’s similarly positioned “The Passion” (4.3 on Easter Sunday in 2016).
A true assessment of the performance, however, cannot be offered until adults 18-49 and overall viewership data emerges later Monday.