Ratings Snapshot: Grey’s Anatomy Up While Scandal is Steady

About to head into a mini-hiatus for the spring as the February Sweeps period has ended and there’s just a few more episodes to spread out across the next three months, Grey’s Anatomy rose to a 3.0 key 18-49 demographic rating and 8.5 million viewers with its latest episode, up from a 2.8 last week, and just beating out its competition of Person of Interest on CBS, which scored a 2.9 demo rating.

Scandal remained steady, as it seems to have found its new core audience, remaining at the same 2.7 key demographic rating from last week and 7.5 million viewers. The show easily bested Elementary, which scored a 2.3 in the demo. The show now doesn’t return until late March and then in April will have to face off against NBC’s new high-profile Hannibal series, so hopefully the audience not only continues to stick around, but continues to grow larger as well!

Sources | SpoilerTV & TVLine

,

  • http://twitter.com/Nikki528 Nicole

    The fact that (at this moment b4 the finals come out) it appears Scandal lost over half a million viewers and dipped below 8 million viewers for the first time in weeks is telling.

    • http://theshondalandsource.com/ Adam

      Actually, the number of viewers is of no matter to the networks when they look at how well a show is doing or whether or not to renew it. As long as they score well in the coveted 18-49 demographic, nothing else really matters, and Scandal has remained steady around 2.7 for the last several episodes, after growing from the steady 1.9/2.0 rating the show got in season one and the beginning of the second season. ABC won’t be worried, and neither should you.
      (For example: Person of Interest is actually a more popular show than Grey’s Anatomy, as several million more people watch that show every week, but Grey’s Anatomy generally scores better in the 18-49 demographic, meaning Grey’s Anatomy is looked at as doing better and being more popular among advertisers than Person of Interest.)

      • http://twitter.com/Nikki528 Nicole

        I do already know that the absolute number of viewers is less important than the demo (which could also be adjusted down later today once the finals are out). I know how the ratings work, I peruse tvbythenumbers all the time. I’m actually not worried about the show in terms of renewal–I thought the drop in viewership (in absolute numbers) was warranted because the episode was a dud.

  • guest

    I noticed the drop in numbers, too (and understand the key demo vs. overall numbers context). I guess we’ll never know but my hope is that the drop is due to viewer disgust w/ the vulgar dialogue written for Fitz, directed at Olivia. I hope the writers have stopped all together with such lines. I’ve been a fan from the beginning but lost interest in the show after such comments. I don’t know that I will watch again and if I do I don’t know that it will be on the important night that Nielsen and other ratings trackers tabulate.