Update: According to the final Nielsen ratings report, Monday’s season finale of “24: Live Another Day” drew a 1.7 adults 18-49 rating with 6.47 million viewers.
An improvement of 21% from last week’s showing, the performance in adults 18-49 was the show’s best since the June 2 installment drew a 1.8.
The show’s viewership average of 6.47 million, which was 9% greater than last week’s number, was the largest since May 12. That episode, which came in the second week of the show’s run, drew 6.48 million.
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While it would be inaccurate to say “24: Live Another Day” went out with a ratings bang, it did go out with an improved number.
Monday’s episode, which served as the season (and, barring a renewal, series) finale, drew a 4.9 overnight household rating.
Up from last week’s 4.6, it marked the series’ strongest overnight household number since episode two aired on May 12. That broadcast ended up drawing a 2.0 adults 18-49 rating with 6.48 million viewers.
There is no guarantee Monday’s finale matched those numbers, but based on the week-to-week overnight gain, there is reason for optimism that it at least topped the 1.4 adults 18-49 rating and 5.96 million viewers posted by last week’s episode.
A ratings disappointment when compared to previous iterations of “24,” “Live Another Day” nonetheless drew respectable ratings by summer broadcast standards (and, realistically, by the standards of FOX’s lineup dating back to January). The question is whether ratings that are respectable by summer standards are attractive enough to advertisers to make future installments commercially viable.
Less subject to questioning is the suggestion that “Live Another Day” represented one of “24′”s strongest seasons to date.
