NBC’s live broadcast of “The Sound of Music” was a big gamble for the network — it was a network’s first live, televised musical in half a century — but the hills are alive with the sounds of KA-CHING.
It was as sweet as jam and bread for NBC because while the network leads in the key 18-49 demographic this season, it has struggled on Thursdays. Not this week.
Also read: Ratings: ‘Sound of Music’ Gives NBC Biggest Thursday Since ‘ER’ Finale
Here are a few of the milestones set by Carrie Underwood, Stephen Moyer and company:
1. With 18.5 million viewers, it was the NBC’s most watched non-sports night on any night of the week since Jan. 15, 2007. That was the airdate of a Golden Globes ceremony that had 20 million total viewers. (Why specify non-sports? Because football still does better than musicals, for now.)
Also read: NBC’s ‘Sound of Music Live’: Hollywood’s Best Reactions
2. With a 4.6 rating among viewers 18-49 demographic, it was the top non-sports Thursday in the key demo since the “ER” finale. (Football still does better than musicals, for now.)
3. Thursday had more viewers than any Thursday night for NBC since the “Frasier” finale on May 13, 2004. That had 22.6 million total viewers.
4. It had the most total viewers of any non-sports Thursday night show for any network since Fox aired a Thursday “American Idol” on March 3, 2011. That “Idol” had 25.3 million viewers.
5. NBC beat its Big 4 rivals for the fifth night in a row in the key demo, the first time it’s done that since June 2002, not including during the Olympics.
One more adorable statistic: Among metered markets, the show was most popular in Oklahoma City, in Underwood’s home state.
Those Sooners look out for their own. Maybe NBC should air a live “Oklahoma” next?