‘Harry & Meghan’ draws record television viewership

By STEVEN HERBERT

“Harry & Meghan” set a Netflix record for a documentary title, with viewers worldwide spending 81.55 million hours watching its first three episodes in the first four days they were available, according to figures released by the streaming service today.

“Harry & Meghan” was Netfilx’s second-most-watched television program between Dec. 5-11 behind “Wednesday.” The eight episodes of the supernatural-infused mystery charting Wednesday Addams’ years at Nevermore Academy were watched for 269.67 million hours in their third week of release, one week after they were watched for 411.29 million hours, the most for an English-language television series in the service’s history.

“Wednesday” was watched for 1.02 billion hours in its 19 days of release through Sunday, the third Netflix program to top the 1 billion hours mark within its first 28 days, joining the fourth season of “Stranger Things” and “Squid Game.”

“Troll” was Netflix’s most-watched movie, with 52.27 million hours watched in its first full week of release, one week after it set the record for most hours viewed for a non-English-language film when viewers spent 75.86 million hours watching the Norwegian action-adventure film in the first four days it was available.

The latest adaptation of “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” was Netflix’s most-watched English-language movie, with 29.03 million hours watched in the first full week it was available on the streaming service, 45% more than the 20 million hours watched the previous week when it was available for three days.

“Yellowstone” was the most-watched entertainment program for the fifth time in the five weeks of its fifth season and the week’s most-watched nonsports program, averaging a combined 9.064 million viewers on Paramount Network and CMT, fifth for the week behind two NFL games, the 10-minute “Sunday Night Football” pre-kickoff show and Fox’s 28-minute NFL postgame show, “The OT.”

NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” drew its second-smallest audience of the season’s 14 games, but was still the most-watched prime-time program between Dec. 5-11, with the Chargers’ 23-17 victory over the Miami Dolphins averaging 15.757 million viewers.

Only the Dolphins’ 16-10 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers Oct. 23 averaged fewer viewers, 15.534 million for a game that included the first scoreless second half in the “Sunday Night Football” package since the 2008 NFL Kickoff game.

An NFL program has been the most-watched television program each week of the 12-week-old 2022-23 prime-time television season.

The combination of “Sunday Night Football” and three of four most-watched entertainment programs on broadcast television made NBC the most-watched network for the 10th time in the season, averaging 5.57 million viewers.

The only weeks NBC did not win this season came when Fox aired coverage of the World Series.

“Chicago Fire” was NBC’s most-watched non-NFL program, averaging 6.845 million viewers, ninth for the week, fourth among non-NFL programs and third among entertainment programs. “Chicago Med,” which precedes “Chicago Fire,” was 10th, averaging 6.643 million viewers.

The Tuesday edition of NBC’s singing competition “The Voice” was 11th, averaging 6.479 million viewers.

CBS was second, averaging 4.25 million. Fox was third, averaging 2.77 million viewers for its 15 hours, seven minutes of prime-time programming. ABC was fourth, averaging 2.73 million.

NBC, CBS and ABC each aired 22 hours of prime-time programming.

Fox’s average included a 32-minute runover of its afternoon NFL coverage into prime time in the Eastern and Central time zones, where the bulk of the nation’s population lives. The viewership figure for runover was not available.

CBS’ most-watched program was “60 Minutes,” averaging 7.825 million viewers to finish seventh overall and second among non-NFL television programs.

CBS also had the most-watched comedy, the most-watched program beginning at 10 p.m. and the most-watched new series.

“Young Sheldon” averaged 7.179 million viewers, eighth overall and third among non-NFL programs. “Young Sheldon” has been the most-watched comedy for each of its eight first-run episodes this season.

“Blue Bloods” averaged 6.057 million viewers, 15th for the week and 10th among non-NFL programs. The Tom Selleck-starring police drama has been the most-watched 10 p.m. show for all eight of its first-run episodes this season.

“Fire Country” averaged 5.59 million viewers, 16th for the week and 11th among non-NFL programs. It has been the most-watched new series for six of its eight episodes.

Fox’s most-watched program was “The OT,” fourth for the week averaging 9.508 million viewers. Its most-watched nonsports program was “The Simpsons,” which followed “The OT” and was 35th, averaging 3.419 million viewers.

ABC’s most-watched program was “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune,” 30th for the week, averaging 3.839 million viewers.

The CW averaged 440,000 viewers for its 14 hours of programming. Its most-watched program was a rerun of the 2019 Christmas special, “Penn & Teller: Merry Fool Us,” which averaged 593,000 viewers, 170th among broadcast programming. Its overall ranking was not available.

The 20 most-watched prime-time programs consisted of two NFL games; three NFL pregame shows; Fox’s NFL postgame show, “The OT”; “Yellowstone”; “60 Minutes”; six CBS scripted programs and its alternative series “Survivor”; all three elements of NBC’s “Chicago” franchise; and both episodes of the NBC singing competition “The Voice.”

The most-watched cable program was the Dec. 5 “Monday Night Football” game on ESPN, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 17-16 victory over the New Orleans Saints averaging 10.132 million viewers, third for the week.

Fox News Channel was the most-watched cable network, averaging 2.132 million viewers. ESPN finished second following five first-place finishes in six weeks, averaging 2.066 million viewers. MSNBC was third, averaging 1.405 million viewers.

Hallmark Channel was the other cable network to average more than 1 million viewers for its prime-time programming, averaging 1.3 million viewers.

The cable top 20 consisted of “Monday Night Football” and its 13-minute kickoff show; “Yellowstone”; 10 Fox News Channel weeknight political talk shows (five broadcasts of “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” four of “Hannity” and one of “The Ingraham Angle”); the three hourlong segments of MSNBC’s coverage of the results of the Georgia Senate election; the Hallmark Channel movie, “Christmas Class Reunion”; History’s long-running chronicle of a search for treasure on a Canadian island, “The Curse of Oak Island”;  the miniseries about country singing stars George Jones and Tammy Wynette, “George & Tammy,”  which aired on Paramount Network, Showtime and CMT; and the MSNBC news and opinion program, “The Rachel Maddow Show.”

Sunday’s second-season finale of the black comedy-drama anthology “The White Lotus” averaged a combined 4.1 million viewers on HBO Max and HBO linear telecasts, according to a combination of figures from Nielsen and the streaming service.

The audience was the largest among the season’s seven episodes and the series’ 13 over its two seasons. There were 28 broadcast and cable television programs during the week with larger audiences, including 20 entertainment programs.

An episode of the Univision telenovela “Mi Camino Es Amarte” was the most-watched Spanish-language program for the third consecutive week, with the Dec. 5 episode averaging 1.442 million viewers, 72nd among broadcast programs. Its overall rank was not available.

Univision was the most-watched Spanish-language television network for the 18th consecutive week and 156th time in 158 weeks, averaging 1.11 million viewers. Telemundo was second, averaging 850,000, followed by UniMas (450,000), Estrella TV (70,000) and Azteca America (40,000).

ABC’s “World News Tonight with David Muir” was the most-watched nightly newscast for 157th time in 158 weeks and 209th time in 211 weeks, averaging 8.512 million viewers. “NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt” was second, averaging 7.07 million viewers.

The “CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell” was third, averaging 5.159 million viewers.

The week’s 10 most-watched prime-time programs were NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” and its 10-minute pre-kickoff show; ESPN’s “Monday Night Football’; Fox’s 28-minute NFL postgame show, “The OT”; the 18-minute third segment of NBC’s “Football Night in America”; “Yellowstone”;”60 Minutes”; CBS’ “Young Sheldon”; and NBC’s “Chicago Fire” and “Chicago Med.”

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