Trae Patton/NBC
The first Monday without the Olympics was still a good one for NBC. The Voice returned for its midseason cycle, slightly earlier than last year, topping broadcast TV for the night in the key demo.
With an average 4.7 rating among adults 18-49, according to Fast National returns from Nielsen, The Voice was virtually even with its comparable Monday opener on March 25, 2013. That brought in a 4.8 rating. The two-hour episode averaged 15.7 million viewers, up from both last March (13.6 million) and the fall (14.98 million).
The spring cycle again brings in judges Shakira and Usher, sitting in for Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green -- though the latter announced last week he would not be returning to the show at all. Compared to the fall season, which has given the show a stronger ratings run, The Voice was off just four-tenths of a point in the key demo.
NBC's other crown jewel, The Blacklist, rose with its lifted lead-in, averaging a 3.1 rating among adults 18-49.
More to come...