TV ratings: ACM Awards fall from 2013, but still lead Sunday

The 49th Academy of Country Music Awards cruised to a ratings victory Sunday night, though the telecast was down from last year, according to early numbers from Nielsen.

The ACM Awards on CBS averaged 14.1 million viewers overall, compared with last year’s big audience of 15.5 million, for a dip of about 9%.

Still, it was safely the most-watched show of the night. This year’s gala, at which singer George Strait rode off with the entertainer of the year honor, had the awards show’s second-biggest audience in five years.

The show drew a rating of 3.3 among key 18- to 49-year-olds, down a full point from a year ago. (In the 18-49 demographic, a ratings point equals about 1.3 million viewers.)

PHOTOS: Behind the scenes of movies and TV

Facing the special competition, ABC’s “Resurrection� fell another 13% from last week to a 2.1 in the 18-49 demographic. Its lead-in, “Once Upon a Time,� scored a 2.2, slightly better than last week for a three-week high. “Revenge� fell 7% to a 1.3.

NBC’s lineup was generally down, starting with an “American Dream Builders� episode that declined 25% to a low of 0.6. New series “Believe� and “Crisis� were both 9% lower than last week at a 1.0 each in the demographic.

On Fox, “Cosmos� held steady week-to-week at a 1.5 in the demographic, coming out of a strong “Family Guy� (2.3, up 10%). “Simpsons� was flat and “Bob’s Burgers� and “American Dad� saw declines.

Ratings from the Season 4 premiere of HBO’s “Game of Thrones� won’t be released until later Monday.

ALSO:

Lawsuit challenges a Hollywood pillar: Unpaid internships

‘Captain America’ sequel shatters records with $96.2-million debut

New York City Council urges CBS to keep ‘Late Show’ in Manhattan

[email protected]
Twitter: @rfaughnder