CMA Music Festival TV Special Slips In Ratings

Reigning CMA Vocal Group of the Year Little Big Town returns to host CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock for the third year. The special aired Tuesday, Aug. 4 on the ABC Television Network. Photo: Hunter Berry / CMA

Last night’s (Aug. 4) CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock averaged a 1.2/4 rating among adult viewers age 18-49, down from last year’s 1.9/6 adults 18-49 rating, according to initial numbers reported by Zap2It.

CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock averaged 5.19 million viewers, down from 7.2 million viewers in 2014. This year’s country show had competition from NBC’s America’s Got Talent in the 7 p.m. CT time slot.

Although the rating fell this year (down 37 percent), the ABC show did rank strongly for the evening at No. 2 among adults 18-49 and garnered increased viewership throughout the three-hour program from its first hour to its final hour by 30 percent (1.0/4 to 1.3/5).

Likewise, ABC delivered its strongest non-sports Tuesday this summer with the CMA broadcast in both viewers (1.9 million) and young adults (1.2/4).

DVR viewership, which has gone from 38 percent penetration in U.S. households five years ago to 49 percent, will be taken into account for Nielsen’s live + 7 day ratings.