The biggest ratings story of the summer has been the performance of “Under the Dome,†the CBS mini-series based on the novel by Stephen King.
Almost four weeks after its premiere, which garnered 13.5 million total viewers, the drama continues to pull the kind of numbers during the warm, summer nights that would be the envy of most fall programs.
The show’s most recent accomplishment was achieved courtesy of DVR statistics, that is, the number of viewers who watched the program within seven days of broadcast. According to Nielsen, the premiere added 4.2 million viewers via DVR, a huge number that would rank “Under the Dome†third in DVR gains among all broadcast programming for the 2012-13 season. On average, only ABC’s “Modern Family,†at 4.5 million viewers, and “The Big Bang Theory†on CBS at 4.3 million, added more viewers through DVR playback.
And when it comes to DVR gains in the 18-to-49 demographic, the ratings category cherished by advertisers, “Under the Dome†would also rank in the Top 10 series from the 2012-13 season.
Since the series premiere, the overall ratings have been steady over the last four weeks. After the third episode dropped to a low of 10.7 million total viewers on July 8, the July 15 episode rebounded to 11.1 million.
