TV Ratings: ‘Cupertino’ and ‘Line of Fire’ More than Double in Delayed Viewing
Cupertino and Line of Fire are attracting substantially more viewers after their initial broadcasts, with each more than doubling its audience in seven-day viewing figures. The early results suggest their same-day ratings understate their reach, though the 2026–27 season is only a month old and the samples are small.
Cupertino grew from 3.19 million viewers on air to 7.17 million over seven days, including 2.18 million DVR viewers and 1.8 million streaming viewers. Line of Fire averaged 6.9 million across its first three episodes, up from 2.98 million initially; NBC said its premiere reached 14 million over a month. NCIS: New York rose 82 per cent to 10.25 million in a week, while Eternally Yours grew 68 per cent to 6.94 million.
In short
- Cupertino more than doubled to 7.17 million viewers in seven days.
- Line of Fire averaged 6.9 million across its first three episodes.
- Delayed viewing is substantially increasing audiences for new network shows.
Explained simply
TV ratings can count viewers at different points after a programme is first shown. Same-day figures record people who watch on the day, while delayed viewing can include recordings and streams watched over the following week.
Cupertino and Line of Fire are television dramas, and their audience figures are being compared with their initial broadcasts. The wider figures include people watching later, so they show how much a programme’s reach can differ from its same-day rating.
Broadcasters use ratings to assess how many people their programmes attract, and comparisons can help show how audiences are watching. Early figures cover only the first month of the 2026–27 season, so they offer a limited picture of how these shows will perform over time.