Matt Lauer’s high-profile firing from the Today Show drastically affected the format of the popular morning show, but seemed to have little impact on NBC’s Christmas In Rockefeller Center tree-lighting event.
Lauer was billed as a co-host on the beloved television special, but was scrubbed from it last minute when news of his firing over sexual misconduct emerged.
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However, the Wednesday night ratings reveal that Christmas In Rockefeller Center actually held tight and stayed pretty even with its ratings from last years special.
The special reportedly drew in about nine million viewers, according to Deadline.
Law & Order: SVU emerged the big winner from the tree-lighting event. However, as the crime drama saw its ratings hit a season high after the NBC tree-lighting special, it helped create a surge in viewership for the procedural crime drama. This was the series’ biggest audience since September of 2016, and it’s best numbers in the coveted 18-49 demo since February of this year.
The trickle-down effect also had an impact on Chicago P.D., which aired after Law & Order: SVU and saw it’s ratings tie for a season high.
Elsewhere in ratings, FOX’s Empire was slightly down, and Star held even. The CW’s Riverdale also held even, and their newly debuted Dynasty reboot saw a boost in viewers.
Additionally, most of ABC’s shows held even, while both American Housewife and Designated Survivor were slightly down.
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