Ratings: Fox's 'Empire' Adds Viewers for 9th Straight Week Heading Into Finale

By Rick Kissell

Daylight Saving Time may have sapped the ratings strength of mere mortal television shows over the past week, but it had little effect on Fox phenom Empire, which on Wednesday grew its audience for a ninth consecutive airing heading into next week’s two-hour finale.

According to preliminary national estimates from Nielsen, Empire averaged a 5.6 rating/17 share in adults 18-49 (down a tick from last week’s prelim score) to more than double the rating of any other program on the night. The show’s five-week growth streak in 18-49 looks likely to come to an end, but currently standing at an un-rounded 5.644 in the prelims, Empire figures to finish at either a 5.7 or 5.8 (last week’s final score) in the nationals.

And in total viewers, it gained about 400,000 to set yet another high with 14.7 million. The updated track: 9.90 million (Jan. 7), 10.32 million (Jan. 14), 11.07 million (Jan. 21), 11.35 million (Jan. 28), 11.47 million (Feb. 4), 11.96 million (Feb. 18), 13.02 million (Feb. 18), 13.90 million (Feb. 25), 14.33 million (March 4) and now a preliminary 14.7 million.

Related: ‘Empire’ Recap: Cookie Vs. the Scarybird

Empire again more than doubled its American Idol lead-in (2.3/8 in 18-49, 9.3 million viewers overall) though the music reality competition was up a couple of ticks from last week to edge out CBS’ Survivor (2.2/8 in 18-49, 9.4 million viewers overall) both head-to-head and as the night’s No. 2 program in 18-49.

Following Survivor (2.2/8 in 18-49, 9.4 million viewers overall), CBS delivered comparable numbers at 9 p.m. with Criminal Minds (2.1/6 in 18-49, 10.4 million viewers overall), which was up 0.2 from last week’s low and placed a solid second for the 9 o’clock hour. In its second week, CSI: Cyber (1.8/6 in 18-49, 9.7 million million viewers overall) held at last week’s premiere rating — which bested the demo score for all but one episode of Stalker to air in the timeslot — and beat the combined ratings of the repeat dramas airing opposite it on NBC and ABC.

Note that the ratings for CBS programs will be adjusted slightly in the nationals due to college basketball pre-emptions in about 2% of the country.

ABC opened the night with a special repeat of The Goldbergs (1.2/4 in 18-49, 4.6 million viewers overall), followed by another encore in its regular timeslot (1.2/4 in 18-49, 4.3 million viewers overall). The comedy has had a strong sophomore season, and the Alphabet may be considering using it to lead off the night next fall.

The back half of ABC’s night featured a repeat Modern Family (1.5/4 in 18-49, 5.1 million viewers overall), a clips/bloopers special episode of “Black-ish” that performed well (1.5/4 in 18-49, 4.6 million viewers overall) and a special repeat of last week’s “American Crime” premiere (0.7/2 in 18-49, 2.7 million viewers overall) in advance of the new drama’s second episode in its regular timeslot tonight.

NBC went with repeats of its regular Wednesday dramas The Mysteries of Laura (0.8/3 in 18-49, 4.9 million viewers overall), “Law & Order: SVU” (0.8/2 in 18-49, 3.7 million viewers overall) and “Chicago PD” (0.9/3 in 18-49, 4.7 million viewers overall).

CW aired a repeat Arrow (0.3/1 in 18-49, 1.2 million viewers overall) and the season finale of “The 100″ (0.4/1 in 18-49, 1.3 million viewers overall). Current Tuesday drama Supernatural will assume the 9 p.m. hour on Wednesday starting next week.

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