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Is this further proof that broadcasting live events may be the best way to get large viewership in the increasingly fragmented and DVR/online streaming-skewing TV universe? Last night’s two-hour ABC special that carried live Nik Wallenda’s highwire walk directly over the precipice at Niagara Falls helped the network score its largest viewership in almost five years, since November 2007, and the most watched non-sports summer program on any network in six years. From 9-11 PM, Megastunts: Highwire Over Niagara Falls – Live! drew a 2.5 rating/9 share in adults 18-49 and 10.1 million total viewers, peaking in the final half-hour to numbers rarely seen on Friday or in the 10 PM hour on any night even during the regular season: 13.1 million viewers and a 3.4/11 in 18-49. ABC dominated the night but it ran largely unopposed, with NBC’s Dateline (1.2/4, up a tenth from last week) as the only other original on the night. It tied ABC’s 8-9 PM Countdown to Niagara special as the second highest-rated program.
Also last night, Disney Channel’s Let It Shine became the No.1 TV movie of the year in Kids 2-11, Kids 6-11 and Tweens. It posted 5.7 million total viewers, 3.0 million Kids 2-11, 2.6 million Kids 6-11 and 2.3/million Tweens.
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Anyone reading Twitter last night could have guessed the ratings for the Wallenda special were going to be huge.
The term “Niagara Falls” trended on Twitter for twelve hours straight.
Ratings would have been tripled without the tether. Viewers love blood, guts, gore and death defying stunts. Trust me.
no one knew the tether would be required until the show was starting…all the viewers how cared to watch were already in place glued to the TV
Guess someone didn’t read any news on this event as one of ABC’s requirements was that Wallenda wore a safety harness. Personally, I thought he would take it off about half way through his walk. Nice event anyway. Better than Evil’s jump over the Snake River. But then I realized the difficulties Wallenda faced with the wind and mist from the Falls. Constantly changing.
Thats not true, they wrote about the tether in the news articles leading up to the stunt.
Actually being from Niagara Falls, the tether/safety harness was required as a condition to get the permit. That is a fact because the Canadian side required is because they wanted no chance of a death, at least all us Canadians knew about it.
EVERYONE except you knew he was wearing the tether
The tether played no role in the ratings.
I’m going to be walking over Santa Monica Blvd on a tightrope with a script in hand. Can I expect similar numbers ?
Sure, but only if you fall off and land on your face in the middle of Santa Monica Blvd.
Very, very cool imagery during the tightrope walk, but the fact that he was forced to use a harness totally ruined it in my opinion, as there was no tension or mortal danger.
The point is, is that the tether would have changed Wallenda’s state of mind going into the stunt. He “risked” embarrassment, but not certain death if he had slipped.
That’s quite a difference psychologically from Phillippe Petit who did it in the mid-80’s, and Jan Francois Gravelet (The Great Blondin) who did it several times in 1859-60, without the benefit of a safety harness.
Except for the fact that there was nothing death-defying or thrilling about it because he was forced to wear a safety harness. It was essentially a high school field trip course cauggt on tape.
field trip? try stretching a cable between your next door neighbors house and yours then see if you think what he did was a field trip..teather or no teather..1/3 mile on a wet cable in swirling winds with announcers wanting to carry on a conversation, no field trip anyway you slice it
So I guess you were one of those sucked in to watch the death defying act? I’d advise you to watch the movie the Running Man to see what can happen when media hype is used to take the masses minds of the political situation. Wake up or enjoy your future in the Brave New World.
Triple huh? What a crock, people didnt know about the tether until they watched and he didn’t fall so no blood and guts
Actually, an hour before the show, I was reading up on it and what I read DID mention some sort of “safety device”. After the show I read that it was required by “the sponsors”
I had no idea that it was even on much less when it was on. For the most part I avoid network television except for local news since cable channels have much better programming.
I not only new about the event but watched it on the Internet. I long ago (five years ago)canceled all TV. I find most items I wish to know about two days in advance of most TV presentations and a great deal more informative. We no longer have journalism, so why watch?
I thought Let it Shine was a good movie.
I would be shocked if Buffalo did not have the highest network ratings.
“helped the network score its largest viewership in almost five years, since November 2007.”
I feel as though this statistic is missing a caveat of some sort.
Ok, so he had a tether. How many of your chicken crap complainers would have had the gut to even go up the sissor lift. Accept the fact that this guy has balls of steel and did the unbelievable.
Amen, Namdiel.
I’m not a fan of Wallenda’s, don’t know him, couldn’t have cared wither way.
I had NO knowledge of the tether (until I noticed it on screen).
My first thought? (After noticing it?)
GUY’S GOT BIGGER BALL$ than I do (tether or no tether.)
The guy WALKED ACROSS NIAGRA FALLS ON A CABLE!!!
A “tether” is a complaint?
Guy’s got kids and a family. What kind of internet remarks would have been made if he DIDN’T use a safety device? (Especially because he’s got a family history of death re: the stunts?)
Let It Shine was surprisingly amazing. I wonder why Shine and Niagra were scheduled against each other by the same company.
13.1 million viewers and a 3.4 demo rating in the 10pm hour on a Friday is as insanely high as his wire walking act. Great job, ABC. Too bad you weren’t smart enough to make Duets a live singing competition instead of a taped one. It probably would be doing double the numbers it’s doing right now.
i see ZERO mention of the highwire walk on abc.com or hulu.com, let alone any actual video i can watch. NONE. unbelievable. way to blow it, abc and disney.
You’re a nut. Get out of your armchair bubble world. I don’t care how scripted it was or wasn’t, you can either walk the rope or not. Sheesh!
I knew that and I wasn’t even flowing this story
Could it be? Am I the first person to say “Niagara Falls! Slowly I turned…”? What’s the world coming to? Has no one any sense of history? Not even a Three Stooges fan? Oh for shame, people.
This only proves, if ABC stays away from it’s news bias, people will watch.
Honestly, no tether and I wouldn’t have watched. Instead, I’d have written letters of complaint to the FCC and whoever runs the park service. You people complaining about the tether are animals.
Higher than Dancing With the Stars final?
Aside from the safety harness, the most telling evidence that there was absolutely zero danger involved here is the fact that this was not sponsored by Red Bull.
It’s not the “live” that makes for ratings success. It’s shows that don’t have hidden political agenda’s, don’t have vulgarities, and are sexual free that do the best. So many in Hollywood and the networks are so concerned with adding their sick liberal agenda to shows, that they can’t see the ratings evidence in front of their faces. The last real comedy or drama without all this was Cosby. The upcoming Olympics, in which many of the events will be taped, will be another example without all this, and ratings success. Wake up Hollywood!
Highest rated show in years, nobody cared about the saftey harness, as for those who didn’t watch cause they knew if an accident happened he would not be killed, who cares about those losers. The Man is a hero and a true one @ that.
And after the walk the very next morning he was out there picking up garbage , filling in holes and repairing damage the ABC Production crew caused. That is the sign of real character.
Nik you are the real deal.
Brace yourself for a incoming glut of daredevil stunt shows.