Fox Finds Bliss in Marrying Millionaires
By Rick Kissell
HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - Fox has cashed in big time with its two-hour special ``Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire,' which drew 16 million viewers Tuesday.
The show helped the network become the first to defeat ABC on a Tuesday in the key adults 18-49 demographic since the Alphabet's own ``Millionaire' began as a series regular last month.
``Multi-Millionaire,' which concluded with millionaire Rick Rockwell of San Diego exchanging ``I do's' with California's Darva Conger, scored a 7.4 rating, 18 share in adults 18-49, according to Nielsen. Fox edged ABC's 7.3/18 with figures that more than doubled the network's adults 18-49 score for the previous Tuesday with 'World's Sexiest Commercials' (3.6/10).
The special delivered Fox's largest-ever women 18-34 audience on a Tuesday and the network's largest audience overall on a Tuesday (excluding baseball) since March 3, 1998. It grew each half-hour in all demos, including an impressive adults 18-49 rise from 4.8 at 8 p.m. to 10.3 at 9:30 p.m. While Fox has stated recently its intentions to divorce itself from the more violent reality-based programs like ``When Animals Attack,' don't be surprised if it becomes wedded to ``Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire,' if only as an occasional sweeps stunt.
ABC's ``Who Wants to Be a Millionaire' (28.66 million viewers) topped the Fox special head-to-head in adults 18-49 (8.9 vs. 5.3). Compared with last week, though, the ABC game show was down 7% in total viewers and 14% in adults 18-49.
ABC won the night in total viewers.
Opposite the ``Millionaire' action, CBS drama ``JAG' (16.59 million, 5.0/13 in adults 18-49) continued to impress, logging the best adults 18-49 and adults 25-54 tallies in its four seasons on the network. |
