TV Ratings: ‘911’ Shocker Delivers Strong Numbers for ABC

[This story contains major spoilers for the April 17 episode of ABC’s 911, titled “Lab Rats.”]

A series-altering episode of 911 drew strong ratings numbers for ABC, particularly among the key ad demographic of adults 18-49.

With a week of cross-platform viewing, the show’s April 17 episode, “Lab Rats,” delivered 8.45 million viewers and a 1.74 rating (equivalent to about 2.33 million people) among adults 18-49, based on Nielsen and internal streaming data. The demo rating is a five-month high for 911, marking its best outing since the Nov. 7, 2024, episode.

The episode saw the departure of star Peter Krause, as his character, Capt. Bobby Nash, sacrifices himself to ensure other members of his LAFD crew survive a deadly virus leak at a lab. “Bobby Nash was written in sacrifice and he was built for this. First responders risk their lives on the job so that others can see another day. His story arc honors them,” Krause said in a statement reflecting on the end of his time on the series.

The initial ABC audience for “Lab Rats” was a season low for 911 at 3.81 million viewers, but a week of streaming and other delayed viewing pushed the total up to 8.45 million viewers, up slightly from the previous week’s 8.43 million (though a little behind the show’s season average of 8.98 million). About 2.81 million of those viewers came via streaming on Hulu, Hulu on Disney+ and other ABC digital properties, its best performance since the season premiere in September 2024. About 1.83 million viewers watched via DVR and other delayed viewing methods.

The majority of the episode’s adults 18-49 viewing came from streaming, which accounted for about two thirds of the 1.74 ratings points. That’s typical of many network scripted series; 911’s linear rating among adults 18-49 after seven days was just 0.56.