‘Empire’ and ‘Bull’ season finales lead week 36’s broadcast Live +7 ratings (original) (raw)

Season finales dominate the top of the Live +7 ratings for the week of May 22, which contained the final three days of the Nielsen-measured TV season and the start of summer programming.

“Empire” made the biggest gain among adults 18-49, adding 1.3 points to its same-day rating with a week of DVR and on-demand viewing. It finishes with a 3.8. The finales of “Law & Order: SVU” (+0.9), “Bull” (+0.8) and “The Flash” (+0.8) were next in the rankings.

“Bull” also added the most viewers, growing by 4.15 million people. “The Amazing Race” and “iZombie” tied for the percentage-gain lead in adults 18-49, each growing by 133 percent, and “Prison Break” added the highest percentage of viewers (85 percent).

Here are the Live +7 rankings for May 22-28, 2017. The rankings include first-run series and specials only, not repeats.

In summer when there is less original programming, rankings will be limited to shows that gained at least 0.2 points in adults 18-49 or 250,000 total viewers; in the percentage-gain charts, the cutoff is a 20 percent increase. That may result in fewer than 25 entries.

Adults 18-49 – Total gain

Rank	Show	Net	L+SD	L+7	7-Day Increase	7-Day % Increase
1	EMPIRE – F	FOX	2.5	3.8	1.3	52%
2	LAW & ORDER: SVU – F	NBC	1.3	2.2	0.9	69%
3	BULL – F	CBS	1.1	1.9	0.8	73%
THE FLASH – F	CW	1.1	1.9	0.8	73%
THE AMAZING RACE	CBS	0.6	1.4	0.8	133%
6	SURVIVOR – F	CBS	1.9	2.6	0.7	37%
THE BACHELORETTE – P	ABC	1.8	2.5	0.7	39%
LUCIFER	FOX	0.8	1.5	0.7	88%
PRISON BREAK	FOX	0.7	1.4	0.7	100%
10	SURVIVOR REUNION – S	CBS	1.3	1.9	0.6	46%
GOTHAM	FOX	1.0	1.6	0.6	60%
12	THE VOICE – TUES. – F	NBC	1.9	2.4	0.5	26%
BROOKLYN NINE-NINE – 8:30 p.m. – F	FOX	0.6	1.1	0.5	83%
SUPERGIRL – F	CW	0.6	1.1	0.5	83%
ARROW – F	CW	0.6	1.1	0.5	83%
16	THE VOICE – MON.	NBC	2.0	2.4	0.4	20%
CELEBRITY NINJA WARRIOR – S	NBC	1.1	1.5	0.4	36%
SHOTS FIRED – F	FOX	0.9	1.3	0.4	44%
BROOKLYN NINE-NINE – 8 p.m.	FOX	0.7	1.1	0.4	57%
IZOMBIE	CW	0.3	0.7	0.4	133%
21	DANCING WITH THE STARS – MON.	ABC	1.8	2.1	0.3	17%
DIRTY DANCING – S	ABC	1.4	1.7	0.3	21%
BEAT SHAZAM – P	FOX	1.2	1.5	0.3	25%
DOWNWARD DOG	ABC	1.0	1.3	0.3	30%
JANE THE VIRGIN – F	CW	0.3	0.6	0.3	100%
THE 100 – F	CW	0.3	0.6	0.3	100%

**Adults 18-49 – Percentage gain

Rank	Show	Net	L+SD	L+7	7-Day Increase	7-Day % Increase
1	THE AMAZING RACE	CBS	0.6	1.4	0.8	133%
IZOMBIE	CW	0.3	0.7	0.4	133%
3	PRISON BREAK	FOX	0.7	1.4	0.7	100%
JANE THE VIRGIN – F	CW	0.3	0.6	0.3	100%
THE 100 – F	CW	0.3	0.6	0.3	100%
6	LUCIFER	FOX	0.8	1.5	0.7	88%
7	BROOKLYN NINE-NINE – 8:30 p.m. – F	FOX	0.6	1.1	0.5	83%
SUPERGIRL – F	CW	0.6	1.1	0.5	83%
ARROW – F	CW	0.6	1.1	0.5	83%
10	BULL – F	CBS	1.1	1.9	0.8	73%
THE FLASH – F	CW	1.1	1.9	0.8	73%
12	LAW & ORDER: SVU – F	NBC	1.3	2.2	0.9	69%
13	GOTHAM	FOX	1.0	1.6	0.6	60%
14	BROOKLYN NINE-NINE – 8 p.m.	FOX	0.7	1.1	0.4	57%
15	EMPIRE – F	FOX	2.5	3.8	1.3	52%
16	SURVIVOR REUNION – S	CBS	1.3	1.9	0.6	46%
17	SHOTS FIRED – F	FOX	0.9	1.3	0.4	44%
18	THE BACHELORETTE – P	ABC	1.8	2.5	0.7	39%
19	SURVIVOR – F	CBS	1.9	2.6	0.7	37%
20	CELEBRITY NINJA WARRIOR – S	NBC	1.1	1.5	0.4	36%
21	20/20 – SAT.	ABC	0.3	0.4	0.1	33%
22	DOWNWARD DOG	ABC	1.0	1.3	0.3	30%
23	LATE LATE SHOW CARPOOL KARAOKE SPECIAL – S	CBS	0.7	0.9	0.2	29%
FIRST DATES	NBC	0.7	0.9	0.2	29%
25	THE VOICE – TUES. – F	NBC	1.9	2.4	0.5	26%

Viewers – Total gain

Rank	Show	Net	L+SD (000s)	L+7 (000s)	7-Day Increase (000s)	7-Day % Increase
1	BULL – F	CBS	8542	12696	4154	49%
2	EMPIRE – F	FOX	6981	10069	3088	44%
3	LAW & ORDER: SVU – F	NBC	6122	8948	2826	46%
4	THE AMAZING RACE	CBS	3631	5988	2357	65%
5	SURVIVOR – F	CBS	8376	10545	2169	26%
6	LUCIFER	FOX	3035	5103	2068	68%
7	THE BACHELORETTE – P	ABC	5670	7669	1999	35%
8	SURVIVOR REUNION – S	CBS	5710	7700	1990	35%
9	THE FLASH – F	CW	3039	4855	1816	60%
10	THE VOICE – TUES. – F	NBC	9346	11144	1798	19%
11	GOTHAM	FOX	2926	4587	1661	57%
12	PRISON BREAK	FOX	1896	3499	1603	85%
13	THE VOICE – MON.	NBC	9654	11157	1503	16%
14	DANCING WITH THE STARS – MON.	ABC	10545	11953	1408	13%
15	DANCING WITH THE STARS – TUES. – F	ABC	8909	10234	1325	15%
16	DIRTY DANCING – S	ABC	6587	7839	1252	19%
17	SUPERGIRL – F	CW	2120	3314	1194	56%
18	SHOTS FIRED – F	FOX	3439	4566	1127	33%
19	CELEBRITY NINJA WARRIOR – S	NBC	4314	5396	1082	25%
20	DOWNWARD DOG	ABC	5736	6762	1026	18%
21	ARROW – F	CW	1715	2673	958	56%
22	BROOKLYN NINE-NINE – 8:30 p.m. – F	FOX	1497	2410	913	61%
23	BROOKLYN NINE-NINE – 8 p.m.	FOX	1780	2666	886	50%
24	RUNNING WILD W/BEAR GRYLLS – THURS. – S	NBC	4056	4852	796	20%
25	BEAT SHAZAM – P	FOX	3643	4425	782	21%

V iewers – Percentage gain

Rank	Show	Net	L+SD (000s)	L+7 (000s)	7-Day Increase (000s)	7-Day % Increase
1	PRISON BREAK	FOX	1896	3499	1603	85%
2	IZOMBIE	CW	983	1699	716	73%
3	LUCIFER	FOX	3035	5103	2068	68%
4	THE 100 – F	CW	911	1505	594	65%
THE AMAZING RACE	CBS	3631	5988	2357	65%
6	JANE THE VIRGIN – F	CW	961	1567	606	63%
7	BROOKLYN NINE-NINE – 8:30 p.m. – F	FOX	1497	2410	913	61%
8	THE FLASH – F	CW	3039	4855	1816	60%
9	GOTHAM	FOX	2926	4587	1661	57%
10	SUPERGIRL – F	CW	2120	3314	1194	56%
ARROW – F	CW	1715	2673	958	56%
12	BROOKLYN NINE-NINE – 8 p.m.	FOX	1780	2666	886	50%
13	BULL – F	CBS	8542	12696	4154	49%
14	LAW & ORDER: SVU – F	NBC	6122	8948	2826	46%
15	EMPIRE – F	FOX	6981	10069	3088	44%
16	THE BACHELORETTE – P	ABC	5670	7669	1999	35%
SURVIVOR REUNION – S	CBS	5710	7700	1990	35%
18	SHOTS FIRED – F	FOX	3439	4566	1127	33%
19	SURVIVOR – F	CBS	8376	10545	2169	26%
20	CELBRITY NINJA WARRIOR – S	NBC	4314	5396	1082	25%
21	BEAT SHAZAM – P	FOX	3643	4425	782	21%
22	20/20 – SAT.	ABC	1964	2358	394	20%
RUNNING WILD W/BEAR GRYLLS – THURS. – S	NBC	4056	4852	796	20%

Source: The Nielsen Company.

Rick Porter has been covering TV since the days when networks sent screeners on VHS, one of which was a teaser for the first season of "American Idol." He's left-handed, makes a very solid grilled cheese and has been editor of TV by the Numbers since October 2015. He lives in Austin.

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