CBS's 48 HOURS Special Was Saturday's No. 1 Primetime Program with Viewers

"All-American Murder," a 48 HOURS special, was Saturday's #1 primetime program with viewers, according to Nielsen live plus same day ratings for Jan. 20. The broadcast delivered 4.66 million viewers and a 0.9/03 with adults 25-54, the demographic that matters most to those who advertise in news. This broadcast marked 48 HOURS' best audience delivery since Oct. 28, 2017 and best adults 25-54 rating since Nov. 18, 2017.

Compared to the last original 48 HOURS edition, Saturday's broadcast was up +18% in viewers (from 3.96m) and up +13% in adults 25-54 (from 0.8/02). Compared to the same night a year ago, 48 HOURS was up +4% in viewers.

Saturday's broadcast featured best-selling author James Patterson's investigation into the life and death of convicted murderer and former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez. Hernandez seemed to have it all. He turned a hardscrabble childhood into superstar NFL dreams. In 2012 he was on one of the all-time best teams in the NFL and was armed with a new $40 million contract extension. But then it all fell apart when he was arrested for the 2013 murder of semi-pro linebacker Odin Lloyd in North Attleboro, Mass. He was convicted of murdering Lloyd in 2015, and in April 2017, Hernandez committed suicide in a Massachusetts prison where he was serving a life sentence. He was 27.

Patterson and 48 HOURS took viewers on a journey through Hernandez's life - as a child growing up in Bristol, Conn., where football GLORY got him into college - and then to the NFL.

But, despite the on-field accolades, as Patterson reported, he could never outrun his history, including the impact the death of his father had on him, and his other personal demons, which remained hidden BEHIND THE MASK of a celebrity football player. In addition to being charged and convicted of killing Lloyd, Hernandez was also charged and acquitted of killing two others.

Patterson had been reporting on the case for a new book on Hernandez's story since the former gridiron great hung himself with a bedsheet, called All-American Murder out this week from Little, Brown and Company.

Jamie Stolz is the senior producer of "All-American Murder," a 48 HOURS special. Tim Malloy is the producer. Stephanie Slifer is the field producer. Mead Stone is a producer-editor. Ken Blum and MARLON Disla are the editors. Nancy Kramer is the executive story editor. Anthony Batson is the senior broadcast producer. Susan Zirinsky is the senior executive producer.

To post a comment, you must register and login.