A lot of people had put ABC’s new Kiefer Sutherland drama series Designated Survivor on its DVR/VOD list. More than 5 million of them. The 10 PM drama has emerged as the biggest Live+3 gainer so far this season in total viewers among new and returning series with +5.3 million viewers, surpassing the season premiere of CBS’ venerable comedy The Big Bang Theory (+4.43 million). This is the biggest viewer L3 gain since the debut of ABC’s How To Get Away With Murder in September 2014.
In adults 18-49, Designated Survivor gained +1.5 rating in the first three days of playback, the biggest for a new series this season and second overall to Big Bang‘s 1.6. Designated Survivor‘s 18-49 L3 lift, which topped NBC This Is Us‘ +1.4, tied Fox’s mega hit Empire as the biggest gain for any new TV series debut in two years, since ABC’s HTGAWM (+1.9 on 9/25/15).
The big lift has improved the standing of Designated Survivor, which had a solid but not remarkable Live+Same Day debut (2.2 in 18-49, 10 million). In L3, it overtook Empire as Wednesday’s most-watched program by 1.4 million viewers (13.9 million). The ABC drama also edged Fox’s Lethal Weapon to rank as the highest-rated series premiere of the night among adults 18-49 (3.7 vs. 2.9 rating) after being tied in L+SD. Beyond the L3 ratings, Designated Survivor has added an additional +0.25 rating points in Multiplatform + 3 Day viewing, bringing its 3-day MP average to a 3.95 adults 18-49 rating.
I will update with more info on the L3 chart for Premiere Wednesday shortly.
