Preliminary ratings for WPLG’s first day away from ABC are in

Fresh off its separation from ABC, WPLG in Miami, Florida, is trumpeting ratings wins — but a dig into the numbers shows a bit more of a mixed bag.

Calling the decision to drop its ABC affiliation and go independent “clearly the right call,” WPLG says its new schedule managed to outperform ABC’s offerings in “nearly every time period through the day.”

Local 10 declares ‘Independence Day’ as station prepares for life after ABC

“Obviously, we know it’s a marathon and not a sprint, but this is a tremendous start to what is the future of local television,” said Bert Medina, the station’s president and CEO, in a statement.

The station cited preliminary household same-day impressions from the Nielsen daily ratings for Aug. 4, 2025, covering 4:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., noon to 1 p.m., 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. the following morning. It was also unclear whether any of the ratings data referred to a specific demo or other segment.

WPLG also trumpeted that its local newscasts beat “Good Morning America,” which would have fallen within that first time period. 

However, those times notably jump over ABC’s “The View” at 11 a.m., “GMA3” at 1 p.m., “General Hospital” at 2 p.m. and “ABC World News Tonight” at 6:30 p.m. WPLG did not release details about its performance during those time periods.

It’s also worth noting that the station moved “Live with Kelly and Mark” from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., where it was apparently unable to come out ahead of “The View.” Although “Live” often airs on ABC stations, it is syndicated, and WPLG held on to its contract to carry the show, which is produced and distributed by ABC’s television arm.

Preliminary impression data typically doesn’t include time-shifting beyond 3 a.m. the following day or out-of-home viewing, which can also cause numbers to shift later.

Advertisement

It’s possible that ABC programming could benefit from revised figures if more people end up going back and watching recorded shows, especially if local newscasts, with their shorter shelf life, are less likely to add numbers that way. 

It’s also summer, when more shows are airing repeats and viewing habits tend to shift on a larger scale. 

Miami station uses 900 LED panels, sleek new desk to build new set

WPLG’s new schedule is anchored by its local news offerings, which now totals 93 hours a week, including weekdays from 4 to 11 a.m., noon to 1 p.m., 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.

The rest of the station’s schedule is filled with a variety of syndicated programming and repeats of network dramas, including “Law & Order: SVU,” “48 Hours,” “Chicago P.D.” and “People Puzzler,” plus top-performing “Jeopardy!” and “Wheel of Fortune.” 

It may be some time before its clear how viewers in the Miami market have adapted to the shift in affiliation.

Miami’s ABC affiliation moving from WPLG to WSVN subchannel

Earlier this year, WPLG announced it would drop ABC. Sunbeam Television, which owns Fox affiliate WSVN, then revealed it would pick up the ABC affiliation and air it on its digital subchannel 7.2. It also also carried over the air by a lower powered station on Channel 18 as well as most major pay TV providers in the region.

While Sunbeam and ABC have been working to promote the move, it’s difficult to say how many viewers have actually caught on. Most viewers would have had to change how they tune in to see ABC network programming, which includes adapting to a new channel number. For over the air, viewers, the switch also required a rescan due to some shifts in how some of the market’s ATSC 1.0 signals are handled.

There are also anecdotal reports of some issues with TV listings data omitting WSVN 7.2 from listings, though it’s not clear to what extent this is happening or how it may affect ratings. 

Ultimately, WPLG’s day one ratings do appear to provide some positive signs that having a big-four affiliation deal isn’t necessarily needed to perform well. 

Although terms of WPLG’s expired deal were not provided, there are significant costs and commitments to being affiliated with a major network, which local stations have traditionally seen as a positive investment because of the wider appeal network programming is often able to bring to the table.

As linear viewing habits shrink, the appeal of a network affiliation may also begin to shrink, particularly when analyzing the cost of such deals compared to potential profits when airing less popular programming at often significantly lower prices. 

WPLG has also been able to pivot its separation from ABC as a better way to serve the Miami community.

Advertisement

“As we said when we announced our separation from ABC, we are committed to serving our community. We are investing in local news. We are employing people our viewers know and trust. This truly is the future of our industry and we are here to stay,” said Medina.