ARTICLE: UEFA Champions League Soccer Coverage On CBS Leads Network’s Daytime Lineup To Season Lows Among Total Viewers – RATINGS

[Errol]

CBS Sports coverage of the UEFA Champions League Soccer games during the week of April 28-May 2, 2025 took a toll on the bulk of the network’s daytime lineup, Nielsen Live+Same Day ratings data shows.

After CBS’ parent company, Paramount Global, renewed its UEFA rights deal in 2022, the network is scheduled to air UEFA Champions League Soccer games through at least 2030, with the package valued at $1.5 billion over the life of the six-year contract, more than two and a half times that of the prior 2020-2024 deal. 

Starting in February 2022, the network’s broadcast of the games has interrupted its daytime lineup, resulting in full network or market-by-market preemptions.

“The Bold and the Beautiful” (2.397 million) and the first half-hour of “The Price is Right” (3.347 million) saw the largest week-to-week drops across daytime broadcast among Total Viewers, down -250,000 and -242,000, respectively. The second half-hour of “The Price is Right” (3.817 million) also saw a significant drop among Total Viewers, down -215,000 week-to-week and down -342,000 viewers compared to the same week last year.

Demographically, “The Young and the Restless” (2.844 million) and “The Bold and the Beautiful” performed within range of their season-to-date averages. The two soaps were preempted in the Mountain and Pacific time zones on Tuesday, April 29 and Wednesday, April 30 due to CBS’ UEFA Champions League Soccer coverage.

“Beyond the Gates” (1.488 million), which was preempted on both days and aired only three episodes as a result, marked a new low among Total Viewers, Women 18-49 (0.18 rating) and Women 25-54 (0.30 rating). The show was up year-over-year compared to the performance of former time slot holder “The Talk” in Women 18-49 (0.18 rating vs. 0.16 rating), Women 25-54 (0.30 rating vs. 0.26 rating), Households (1.0 rating vs. 0.8 rating) and Total Viewers (1.488 million vs. 1.242 million).

That said, CBS aired UEFA Champions League Soccer on Tuesday, April 30, 2024 and Wednesday, May 1, 2024, which resulted in the network’s daytime lineup being either preempted, amended, or broken out. As a result, year-over-year comparisons are based on UEFA coverage in 2025 vs. 2024.

“General Hospital” (1.770 million), “GMA3: What You Need to Know” (1.261 million) and “NBC News Daily” (1.127 million) were the only daytime broadcast shows to see week-to-week gains among Women 18-49, with “General Hospital” and “NBC News Daily” also seeing week-to-week gains among Women 25-54.

Compared to the same week last year, “The View” (2.329 million) and “GMA3” saw gains among Women 18-49, while the daytime talk show and “NBC News Daily” saw year-over-year growth among Women 25-54.

“TODAY with Jenna & Friends”
NBC News

“TODAY 3rd Hour” (1.633 million) and “TODAY with Jenna & Friends” (1.139 million) both hit new series lows among Total Viewers and Households. Both shows performed within range of their season-to-date averages demographically, with “TODAY 3rd Hour” ranking among the top five in the key sales demographics used to sell ads for daytime television.

Wrap-Up

What follows is a breakdown of how the daytime broadcast shows performed during the week of April 28-May 2, 2025 among Women 18-49 rating, Women 25-54 rating, Households and Total Viewers, including a week-to-week and year-over-year performance comparison.

Note*: The year ago performance for “Beyond the Gates” is compared to “The Talk.” Ditto for “TODAY with Jenna & Friends,” which is compared with “TODAY with Hoda & Jenna.”

Week of April 28-May 2, 2025 Rankers

Women 18-49 Rating

Rank / Show / Network	This Week	Last Week	2024
1. The Price Is Right 2 (CBS)	0.32	0.36	0.41
2. The Price Is Right 1 (CBS)	0.29	0.36	0.37
3. TODAY 3rd Hour (NBC)	0.26	0.28	0.28
4. The Young and the Restless (CBS)	0.25	0.27	0.27
5. The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)	0.24	0.28	0.25
6. General Hospital (ABC)	0.20	0.17	0.20
7. The View (ABC)	0.19	0.21	0.15
8. Beyond the Gates (CBS)	0.18	0.19	0.16*
9. Let’s Make a Deal 2 (CBS)	0.17	0.23	0.27
– TODAY with Jenna & Friends (NBC)	0.17	0.18	0.22*
11. Let’s Make a Deal 1 (CBS)	0.16	0.20	0.23
12. GMA3: What You Need to Know (ABC)	0.14	0.13	0.13
– NBC News Daily (NBC)	0.14	0.12	0.14

Source: Nielsen (Live+Same Day) – April 28 – May 2, 2025

Women 25-54 Rating

Rank / Show / Network	This Week	Last Week	2024
1. The Price Is Right 2 (CBS)	0.50	0.59	0.61
2. The Price Is Right 1 (CBS)	0.45	0.57	0.55
3. The Young and the Restless (CBS)	0.42	0.49	0.48
4. The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)	0.40	0.49	0.44
– TODAY 3rd Hour (NBC)	0.40	0.44	0.43
6. Let’s Make a Deal 2 (CBS)	0.30	0.36	0.40
– Beyond the Gates (CBS)	0.30	0.35	0.26*
– General Hospital (ABC)	0.30	0.28	0.33
9. The View (ABC)	0.29	0.30	0.25
10. TODAY with Jenna & Friends (NBC)	0.28	0.30	0.34*
11. Let’s Make a Deal 1 (CBS)	0.27	0.31	0.38
12. NBC News Daily (NBC)	0.24	0.21	0.23
13. GMA3: What You Need to Know (ABC)	0.19	0.20	0.22

Source: Nielsen (Live+Same Day) – April 28 – May 2, 2025

Households

Rank / Show / Network	This Week	Last Week	2024
1. The Price Is Right 2 (CBS)	2.4	2.4	2.6
2. The Price Is Right 1 (CBS)	2.1	2.2	2.3
3. The Young and the Restless (CBS)	1.9	2.0	2.0
4. The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)	1.6	1.7	1.8
– The View (ABC)	1.6	1.6	1.5
6. Let’s Make a Deal 2 (CBS)	1.3	1.4	1.5
7. Let’s Make a Deal 1 (CBS)	1.2	1.2	1.3
– General Hospital (ABC)	1.2	1.2	1.3
9. TODAY 3rd Hour (NBC)	1.1	1.1	1.3
10. Beyond the Gates (CBS)	1.0	1.1	0.8*
11. GMA3: What You Need to Know (ABC)	0.8	0.8	0.9
– NBC News Daily (NBC)	0.8	0.7	0.7
13. TODAY with Jenna & Friends (NBC)	0.7	0.8	0.9*

Source: Nielsen (Live+Same Day) – April 28 – May 2, 2025

Total Viewers (In Millions)

Rank / Show / Network	This Week	Last Week	2024
1. The Price Is Right 2 (CBS)	3,817	4,032	4,159
2. The Price Is Right 1 (CBS)	3,347	3,589	3,569
3. The Young and the Restless (CBS)	2,844	3,007	2,992
4. The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)	2,397	2,647	2,638
5. The View (ABC)	2,329	2,391	2,161
6. Let’s Make a Deal 2 (CBS)	2,143	2,305	2,372
7. Let’s Make a Deal 1 (CBS)	1,883	1,945	2,033
8. General Hospital (ABC)	1,770	1,797	1,889
9. TODAY 3rd Hour (NBC)	1,633	1,718	1,835
10. Beyond the Gates (CBS)	1,488	1,543	1,242
11. GMA3: What You Need to Know (ABC)	1,261	1,239	1,247
12. TODAY with Jenna & Friends (NBC)	1,139	1,173	1,299
13. NBC News Daily (NBC)	1,127	1,089	1,054

Source: Nielsen (Live+Same Day) – April 28 – May 2, 2025

The numbers above are calculated using Live+Same Day viewing and DVR playback, defined as 3:00 a.m.-3:00 a.m., and are courtesy of Nielsen.

Beginning August 31, 2020, national ratings include Out of Home (OOH) viewing. Previously, ratings did not include OOH viewing. Averages are based on regular telecasts.

LEGEND

P = Premiere	R = Repeat	S = Special
NR = Not Rated / Not Ranked	N/A = Not Available	* denotes further information

Summary (Preemptions/Schedule Changes)*

• “Beyond the Gates” was fully preempted on Tuesday, April 29 and Wednesday, April 30 due to CBS Sports coverage of UEFA Champions League Soccer games. The show’s weekly average is based on three days (Monday, Thursday and Friday).
• “Let’s Make a Deal” was fully preempted on Tuesday, April 29 and Wednesday, April 30 due to CBS Sports coverage of UEFA Champions League Soccer games. The show’s weekly average is based on three days (Monday, Thursday and Friday).
• “The Bold and the Beautiful” was preempted in the Mountain and Pacific time zones on Tuesday, April 29 and Wednesday, April 30 due to CBS Sports coverage of UEFA Champions League Soccer games. The show’s weekly average is based on five days (Monday through Friday).
• “The Young and the Restless” was preempted in the Mountain and Pacific time zones on Tuesday, April 29 and Wednesday, April 30 due to CBS Sports coverage of UEFA Champions League Soccer games. The show’s weekly average is based on five days (Monday through Friday).

Note: The post UEFA Champions League Soccer Coverage On CBS Leads Network’s Daytime Lineup To Season Lows Among Total Viewers – RATINGS appeared first on the Soap Opera Network website.

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[Liberty City]

Ouch. No bueno.

[Maxim]

The Curse of trying to Pre-empt Silkpress Sheila. 

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[skiman12082004]

Wow, that really sucks, especially because those were some of BTG best episodes. And sadly, we have the same preemtions this week

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[janea4old]

As was stated: Due to this being a live broadcast of soccer from Europe,
Y&R and B&B were disrupted in western timezones.
Here is more specific information:

• In most of Mountain Daylight Time:
  • Y&R aired in full before the soccer prematch show,
  • B&B was preempted.


• In Arizona Standard Time, and in Pacific Daylight, it varied a lot. 
  Quite a few channels had
  alternate broadcast times for either/both soaps,
  and/or there were airings on sister channels.
  In a few locations, neither B&B nor Y&R aired.
   
• In Alaska Daylight Time, there was no local broadcast of either soap
  (although some viewers may have caught soaps on an Eastern USA satellite feed).
   
• In Hawaii Standard Time, both soaps aired at normal times after soccer.

** Disclaimer that this info is based on analysis of each station's TV listings in these timezones, but the listings might have been incorrect, or changed.
Or I could have easily made an error.

Edited May 7 by janea4old

[Soapsuds]

They should have waited for the big reveal. This is one of BTG's big stories, and the reveal and fallout are done in two weeks of heavy preemptions.

You'd think MVJ would have known better than to do this.

[janea4old]

MVJ was used to these soccer disruptions from when she wrote for B&B.

However, in 2022, 2023, and 2024, the soccer disruptions happened for the "Round of Sixteen" over a couple of weeks in February, and the quarterfinals in March, and then the semifinals in April -- many dates. All on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

• Many soap episodes were affected in Feb, March, and April.
• The Talk was completely preempted on the affected dates.
• B&B and Y&R were disrupted in western timezones.

But for 2025, it was structured differently. 
There was a new round that took place before the "Round of Sixteen".  That changed the schedule.
CBS broadcast TV didn't air the new round. Nor did they air the Round of Sixteen. Nor did they air the quarterfinals. 
In fact, all the *early* announcements and press releases said *ONLY* ParamountPlus for everything.
And indeed there were no broadcast disruptions in February or March. 
And no broadcast disruptions for the quarterfinals in the first half of April.

At some point during the process, CBS decided that the *semifinals* (end of April and start of May) would be on broadcast TV, but that wasn't announced in the initial press release early in the year.  No idea when this was decided.

So these semifinals were same as 2022, 2023, and 2024:

• disruptions for B&B and Y&R in western timezones.
• BeyondTheGates is in TheTalk's old timeslot, thus fully preempted.

I know nothing of BTG/BeyondTheGates behind-the-scenes. 
I have no idea what CBS Sports communicated to the soaps.
No idea what was said or when about the semifinals.

But during the BTG April 11th episode, Leslie was holding up an invitation to the anniversary party,
and the invitation said April 29th, 2025. 

So that leads me to  **SPECULATE**  that
at least back in January when the April 11th BTG episode was filmed,
the BTG show hadn't originally expected an April 29 preemption for soccer?

screengrab from final 2 minutes of April 11th:
https://i.imgur.com/9ZQkLEG.png

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Edited May 7 by janea4old
(Edited a few times for clarity. Substance is the same)

[1974mdp]

I feel bad for BTG. Those were the best episodes they had aired in WEEKS.

Are there really that many people watching the soccer games on CBS???

[DRW50]

Apparently not. 

Given CBS/Paramount's current struggles, this is also catnip for anyone at the network who may want rid of the show, or soaps in general. 

@janea4old I always appreciate how thorough your writeups are on topics like this. It sucks that MVJ did likely try her best to schedule these episodes in a way that would spare them from the preemptions and it still didn't happen.

[bongobong]

CBS literally renewed B&B a month ago for 3 years and Y&R for 4 the year before. Doesn't look like they're scheming to get rid of their soaps.

 

Obviously Y&R & B&B were dinged a bit for being preempted in almost 25% of the US for 2 days. As for BTG, isn't it strategically smart to have strong episodes (I'll take your word for it) bracketing preemptions? If Monday was ho-hum, wouldn't turning back in on Thursday be less top of mind for the less fanatic viewers?

[Vee]

Sports preemption bullshít is a network thing. MVJ has no control over that. You can only 'plan' for that at a production level up to a certain point. Particularly in the age of Trump II.

I doubt this inevitable preemption will have any effect on BTG's standing or renewal, especially when it's less than six months old.

Edited May 7 by Vee

[janea4old]

Once the preemptions were announced, BTG cleverly marketed the episodes of Thursday May 1, Friday May 2, and Monday May 5 as a special must-see "3-episode arc".

[dragonflies]

This is so idiotic, America is NOT a soccer type country. WTF was CBS thinking? Are they even getting their money's worth??

Plus why 2pm? Why not 3 or 4 pm?

[Faulkner]

At least they’re ramping up the marketing to try and offset this, but still. I hope they are able to maintain a healthy budget to hire and keep strong talent as well as keep up the production value. Network interference—whether direct interventions in story/hiring or contractual b.s. like this—was always my main concern.

[janea4old]

The point of this was to telecast **LIVE** soccer matches from Europe.
These particular matches of the Champions League are played Tuesday and Wednesday evenings -- at 8:00 pm France and Germany time (or 7:00 pm England and Portugal time).
That translates to a start time of 3:00pm New York Time --
and also CBS includes a live pre-match show at 2:00pm New York Time.