Coverage of Pandemic Draws Viewers to Entertainment Magazines
For a second straight week the entertainment magazines were red hot with every show at or above its highest numbers of the season as breaking news on the coronavirus pandemic dominated the session ending March 22.
Hitting its greatest rating since 2018 was Extra (new season high 1.2 live plus same day national Nielsen, up 9% from the week before), which has now mushroomed 33% over the past two weeks.
Entertainment Tonight (new season high 3.3, up 10%) finished first among all magazines for the tenth time in eleven weeks.
Among the strongest upside percentage movers were TMZ(new season high 1.4, up 17%) and Daily Mail TV (13-week high 0.9, up 13%).
The talk show leaders were Dr Phil (2.4, up 14%), which was number one in the genre for the 181st time in the past 185 weeks,Live with Kelly and Ryan (2.2, up 10%), which matched its season high, Ellen DeGeneres (1.8, unchanged), breakout newcomer Kelly Clarkson (8-week high 1.4, up 8%) and the long-running Dr Oz (new season high 1.2, up 33%).
Also coming up big were the court shows with Judge Judy (3-week high 6.6, up 12%) dominating the category for an historic 1,226th straight week. Hot Bench (2.2, up 16%) took second, while top rookie gaveler Judge Jerry (0.9, up 13%) jumped 33% in the advertiser coveted W25-54 demo despite being in repeats on all five days.
