It was a good thing CNN/US President Jon Klein said CNN Heroes would be a winner no matter what the ratings were.

The almost three-hour broadcast rated poorly in both the A25-54 demo and total viewers. The event caused CNN to slide significantly into third place behind MSNBC during primetime in both categories. MSNBC occasionally overtakes CNN in the primetime demo for second place, but it is the total viewers win by MSNBC in primetime that is staggering.

The show itself placed fourth in the A25-54 demo at 9pmET behind a Deal or No Deal repeat on CNBC.

It will be interesting to see how the multiple re-airings of Heroes fared over the weekend. The show was long and may rate better in a weekend format. It aired tonight and will re-air again Sunday night at 8pmET.