ABC’s coverage of the Billboard Music Awards on Sunday night drew 10.5 million total viewers and a 3.5 rating, up 11 percent in audience year-over-year — hitting a 13-year high — while matching 2013’s 11-year demo high.
CBS’ finale line-up nonetheless held up well, with both The Amazing Race (8.2 mil/1.7) and The Good Wife (9 mil/1.2) staying steady in the demo (though down a good 25 percent versus last year), while The Mentalist finale (9.7 mil/1.5) — which TVLine readers gave an average grade of “A-“ — surged 13 and 16 percent week-to-week (yet was down two tenths in the demo from its previous closer).
Over on Fox, Family Guy (3.9 mil/2.0) ticked down a tenth while Bob’s Burgers, American Dad, The Simpsons and Cosmos all held steady.
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That Coldplay thing opened NBC’s anemic night with 1.7 mil and a 0.4. American Dream Builders followed with season lows of 1.8 mil/0.4, while a Women of Saturday Night Live special encore did 2.5 mil/0.8.