CBS's challenge:
Build on its strong fall
It's tied with Fox in 18-49s, to the surprise of many
By Toni Fitzgerald
Dec 14, 2011
 |
'Two and a Half Men': Ratings have declined since
this fall's debut but the show remains the No. 1 scripted series on TV |
CBS has had an excellent fall.
Four months ago, no one expected the other broadcasters to keep pace with Fox and its crop of highly touted new shows, most notably "The X Factor."
But as fourth quarter wraps up, CBS is tied with Fox for first this fall, largely on the strength of its surging Monday comedy lineup, led by the Charlie Sheen-less "Two and a Half Men."
The network's sole challenge during the second half of the year is to maintain Monday's hot ratings and get decent performances out of its two new shows, the fewest number of new programs being introduced by any Big Four network.
CBS is averaging a 3.3 rating and 9 share among adults 18-49 this season, according to Nielsen, up 2 percent from last year and even to what Fox is averaging.
A large part of those gains are due to Monday nights.
CBS's Monday rating is up 21 percent over last year, to a 5.1, the second-best average for any network on any night, behind only NBC with "Sunday Night Football" on Sundays.
"Men" is responsible for much of that. The show's average rating soared 39 percent this year, from a 4.6 to a 6.4, with the addition of Ashton Kutcher to replace Sheen.
The switch certainly proved CBS had the right instinct last spring.
Some thought the network was nuts to try to continue a show that relied so heavily on Sheen's character, but "Men" set a series record with a 10.3 rating for its season premiere as curiosity seekers turned out to see how series creator Chuck Lorre would dispatch with Sheen (quite bloodily, as it turned out).
"Men's" ratings have since dropped to half that number, but it remains the No. 1 scripted series on TV and its surge helped lift the entire Monday lineup.
"How I Met Your Mother" is on pace for one of its best seasons in its seventh year, which is rare.
"Men" lead-out "Mike & Molly" has grown over last year, and "Men" lead-in "2 Broke Girls" is the No. 1 new show on TV.
Still, CBS's Monday slate faces its first real challenge in February, when NBC's hit "The Voice" and the highly anticipated musical drama "Smash" debut.
To have even a slight hope of competing with Fox for a full-season win, CBS's lineup would have to keep up those lofty fall numbers. There's the real concern that "Voice" could well steal away some of those young viewers.
CBS also needs better numbers from the new sitcom "Rob!" than it got from "How To Be a Gentleman," the shortlived comedy that "Rob!" is replacing Thursday nights in January.
CBS will have no patience with the show if it does not hold a good portion of lead-in "The Big Bang Theory's" audience, as "Gentleman" failed to do.
The network also needs to find the right spot for the new cop drama "NYC 22," which is produced by Robert De Niro.
CBS does not have any obvious problem areas the way the other networks do, but Sunday nights are a weak link in an otherwise strong schedule.
"NYC" might be a good replacement Sundays for the 10 p.m. drama "CSI: Miami." Buyers are wondering if CBS will cancel one of the three "CSI" shows next season, and this would be a chance to try out a replacement before the upfront.
***
In broadcast ratings for the week ended Dec. 11:
Among adults 18-49, CBS was first for the week with a 2.7 average rating and a 7 share, followed by NBC at 2.4/6, Fox at 2.1/6, ABC at 1.7/5, Univision at 1.4/4, Telemundo at 0.7/1, CW at 0.6/2, ION at 0.4/1, TeleFutura at 0.3/1 and Azteca and Estrella at 0.1/0.
Top five English-language Big Five shows (18-49s): 1. Fox's "NBC's "Sunday Night Football" 9.4; Tie-2. ABC's "Modern Family" and "CBS's "Two and a Half Men" 5.1; 4. NBC's "Football Night in America" 4.9; Tie-5. CBS's "2 Broke Girls" and "How I Met Your Mother" 4.6.
Top five English-language Big Five shows (total viewers): 1. NBC's "Sunday Night Football" 24.52 million; 2. CBS's "Two and a Half Men" 15.18 million; 3. CBS's "60 Minutes" 14.74 million; 4. CBS's "The Big Bang Theory" 14.02 million; 5. NBC's "Football Night in America" 13.26 million.
Top five time-shifted English-language Big Five shows (18-49s, by Live+SD versus Live+7 playback, week ended Nov. 20): 1. CBS's "Two and a Half Men" 1.4 increase (up 26.9 percent); 2. Fox's "House" 1.4 increase (up 56.0 percent); 3. CBS's "Hawaii Five-0" 1.3 increase (up 46.4 percent); 4. CBS's "NCIS" 1.3 increase (up 37.1 percent); 5. ABC's "Once Upon a Time" 1.1 increase (up 32.4 percent).
Show on the rise: NBC's "Grimm," Thursday 10 p.m. The show's rating wasn't great--just a 1.6 among 18-49s--but it was up 23 percent from the 1.3 "Prime Suspect" averaged in the slot the previous week.
Show on the decline: NBC's "The Sing Off," Monday 8 p.m. A special Christmas edition of the recently concluded reality competition averaged just a 1.1.
|
WEEKLY PRIMETIME AVERAGES BY NETWORK
Ranked on Households
Week Ending Dec. 11 |
|
Network
|
Households
|
People 2+
|
Adults 18-49
|
|
Rtg%
|
(000)
|
Shr
|
Rtg%
|
(000)
|
Shr
|
Rtg%
|
(000)
|
Shr
|
|
CBS |
6.5 |
7430 |
10 |
3.6 |
10530 |
9 |
2.7 |
3400 |
7 |
|
NBC |
4.5 |
5210 |
7 |
2.5 |
7300 |
6 |
2.4 |
3120 |
7 |
|
ABC |
3.9 |
4450 |
6 |
2.1 |
6230 |
5 |
1.7 |
2230 |
5 |
|
FOX |
3.6 |
4070 |
6 |
2.1 |
5950 |
5 |
2.1 |
2650 |
6 |
|
UNI |
1.7 |
1980 |
3 |
1.2 |
3400 |
3 |
1.4 |
1760 |
4 |
|
CW |
0.9 |
1040 |
1 |
0.5 |
1340 |
1 |
0.6 |
710 |
2 |
|
ION |
0.8 |
900 |
1 |
0.4 |
1210 |
1 |
0.4 |
460 |
1 |
|
TEL |
0.8 |
890 |
1 |
0.5 |
1520 |
1 |
0.7 |
850 |
2 |
|
TF |
0.3 |
400 |
1 |
0.2 |
650 |
1 |
0.3 |
360 |
1 |
|
ETV |
0.1 |
160 |
0 |
0.1 |
300 |
0 |
0.1 |
180 |
0 |
|
AZA |
0.1 |
130 |
0 |
0.1 |
200 |
0 |
0.1 |
90 |
0 |
|
*
Each rating point is equivalent to 1 percent or
1. 147
million homes
Note: Viewing estimates include same day (3 a.m.-3 a.m.) DVR playback.
Source: Nielsen
|
|
SEASON-TO-DATE PRIMETIME AVERAGES BY NETWORK
Ranked on Households
Week Ending Dec. 11 |
|
Network
|
Households
|
People 2+
|
Adults 18-49
|
|
Rtg%
|
(000)
|
Shr
|
Rtg%
|
(000)
|
Shr
|
Rtg%
|
(000)
|
Shr
|
|
CBS |
7.9 |
9030 |
13 |
4.3 |
12600 |
11 |
3.3 |
4270 |
9 |
|
ABC |
6.1 |
7030 |
10 |
3.3 |
9540 |
8 |
2.7 |
3480 |
7 |
|
FOX |
5.5 |
6330 |
9 |
3.2 |
9230 |
8 |
3.3 |
4250 |
9 |
|
NBC |
4.7 |
5370 |
8 |
2.6 |
7410 |
6 |
2.6 |
3280 |
7 |
|
UNI |
1.9 |
2160 |
3 |
1.2 |
3580 |
3 |
1.5 |
1920 |
4 |
|
CW |
1.4 |
1560 |
2 |
0.7 |
2030 |
2 |
0.9 |
1150 |
2 |
|
ION |
0.7 |
780 |
1 |
0.4 |
1010 |
1 |
0.3 |
390 |
1 |
|
TEL |
0.7 |
760 |
1 |
0.4 |
1200 |
1 |
0.5 |
650 |
1 |
|
TF |
0.3 |
330 |
0 |
0.2 |
510 |
0 |
0.2 |
300 |
1 |
|
ETV |
0.1 |
140 |
0 |
0.1 |
230 |
0 |
0.1 |
120 |
0 |
|
AZA |
0.1 |
130 |
0 |
0.1 |
210 |
0 |
0.1 |
100 |
0 |
|
*
Each rating point is equivalent to one percent or
1. 147
million homes
Note: Season-to-date estimates are a weighted average and Live+7 data, except for the most recent two weeks which are based Live+SD viewing.
Source: Nielsen |
|
TOP 25 PROGRAMS – BROADCAST
Ranked on Households
Week Ending Dec. 11 |
|
# |
PROGRAMS |
Net |
HOUSEHOLDS |
PERSONS 2+ |
|
Rtg% |
Shr |
(000) |
# |
Rtg% |
(000) |
|
1 |
NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL |
NBC |
14.9 |
23 |
17090 |
1 |
8.5 |
24516 |
|
2 |
SUNDAY NIGHT NFL PRE-KICK |
NBC |
10.5 |
16 |
12069 |
2 |
6.1 |
17610 |
|
3 |
60 MINUTES |
CBS |
9.4 |
14 |
10742 |
4 |
5.1 |
14743 |
|
4 |
TWO AND A HALF MEN |
CBS |
9.3 |
14 |
10714 |
3 |
5.2 |
15176 |
|
5 |
BIG BANG THEORY, THE |
CBS |
8.5 |
14 |
9790 |
5 |
4.8 |
14016 |
|
6 |
MENTALIST, THE |
CBS |
8.3 |
14 |
9465 |
7 |
4.5 |
13040 |
|
7 |
NCIS |
CBS |
8.2 |
13 |
9370 |
8 |
4.4 |
12732 |
|
8 |
FOOTBALL NT AMERICA PT 3 |
NBC |
8.0 |
13 |
9191 |
6 |
4.6 |
13255 |
|
9 |
2 BROKE GIRLS |
CBS |
7.9 |
12 |
9004 |
8 |
4.4 |
12753 |
|
9 |
MIKE & MOLLY |
CBS |
7.9 |
12 |
9029 |
8 |
4.4 |
12659 |
|
9 |
NCIS: LOS ANGELES |
CBS |
7.9 |
12 |
9017 |
13 |
4.2 |
12234 |
|
9 |
PERSON OF INTEREST |
CBS |
7.9 |
12 |
9100 |
8 |
4.4 |
12661 |
|
13 |
CRIMINAL MINDS |
CBS |
7.7 |
12 |
8800 |
12 |
4.3 |
12408 |
|
14 |
GOOD WIFE, THE |
CBS |
7.5 |
12 |
8601 |
15 |
4.0 |
11561 |
|
15 |
MODERN FAMILY |
ABC |
7.4 |
11 |
8545 |
13 |
4.2 |
12200 |
|
16 |
HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER |
CBS |
7.2 |
11 |
8204 |
15 |
4.0 |
11506 |
|
17 |
AMAZING RACE 19 |
CBS |
7.0 |
10 |
7999 |
15 |
4.0 |
11715 |
|
17 |
CSI |
CBS |
7.0 |
12 |
7998 |
19 |
3.8 |
11141 |
|
19 |
HAWAII FIVE-0 |
CBS |
6.9 |
11 |
7963 |
19 |
3.8 |
11009 |
|
20 |
CSI: MIAMI |
CBS |
6.8 |
12 |
7779 |
22 |
3.5 |
10165 |
|
20 |
SURVIVOR: SOUTH PACIFIC |
CBS |
6.8 |
11 |
7828 |
15 |
4.0 |
11588 |
|
22 |
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT |
CBS |
6.1 |
10 |
7045 |
23 |
3.4 |
9955 |
|
22 |
X-FACTOR-WED |
FOX |
6.1 |
10 |
7024 |
21 |
3.7 |
10700 |
|
24 |
X-FACTOR-THU |
FOX |
5.8 |
9 |
6683 |
23 |
3.4 |
9843 |
|
25 |
CASTLE |
ABC |
5.4 |
9 |
6160 |
29 |
2.8 |
8116 |
|
25 |
LAST MAN STANDING |
ABC |
5.4 |
8 |
6192 |
27 |
3.0 |
8794 |
|
0Source: Nielsen |
|
TOP 25 PROGRAMS – BROADCAST
Adults 18-49
Week Ending Dec. 4 |
|
Rank |
Program |
Net |
Rtg% |
(000) |
|
1 |
NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL |
NBC |
9.4 |
12000 |
|
2 |
SUNDAY NIGHT NFL PRE-KICK |
NBC |
6.4 |
8245 |
|
3 |
MODERN FAMILY |
ABC |
5.1 |
6499 |
|
3 |
TWO AND A HALF MEN |
CBS |
5.1 |
6492 |
|
5 |
FOOTBALL NT AMERICA PT 3 |
NBC |
4.9 |
6217 |
|
6 |
2 BROKE GIRLS |
CBS |
4.6 |
5886 |
|
6 |
BIG BANG THEORY, THE |
CBS |
4.6 |
5913 |
|
8 |
HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER |
CBS |
4.5 |
5748 |
|
9 |
MIKE & MOLLY |
CBS |
4.2 |
5350 |
|
10 |
CRIMINAL MINDS |
CBS |
3.4 |
4389 |
|
10 |
NEW GIRL |
FOX |
3.4 |
4377 |
|
10 |
X-FACTOR-WED |
FOX |
3.4 |
4297 |
|
13 |
AMAZING RACE 19 |
CBS |
3.3 |
4237 |
|
13 |
SURVIVOR: SOUTH PACIFIC |
CBS |
3.3 |
4228 |
|
15 |
FAMILY GUY |
FOX |
3.1 |
3964 |
|
16 |
60 MINUTES |
CBS |
3.0 |
3897 |
|
16 |
FOOTBALL NT AMERICA PT 2 |
NBC |
3.0 |
3824 |
|
16 |
GLEE |
FOX |
3.0 |
3798 |
|
16 |
HAWAII FIVE-0 |
CBS |
3.0 |
3871 |
|
16 |
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT |
CBS |
3.0 |
3787 |
|
16 |
SIMPSONS |
FOX |
3.0 |
3791 |
|
22 |
OFFICE |
NBC |
2.9 |
3724 |
|
22 |
ONCE UPON A TIME |
ABC |
2.9 |
3708 |
|
22 |
X-FACTOR-THU |
FOX |
2.9 |
3730 |
|
25 |
CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS(S) |
ABC |
2.8 |
3536 |
|
25 |
HAPPY ENDINGS |
ABC |
2.8 |
3545 |
|
25 |
MIDDLE, THE |
ABC |
2.8 |
3522 |
|
25 |
PERSON OF INTEREST |
CBS |
2.8 |
3541 |
|
25 |
SUBURGATORY |
ABC |
2.8 |
3611 |
|
Source: Nielsen |
|
SPANISH-LANGUAGE TELEVISION
Ranked on Households
Week Ending Dec. 4 |
|
# |
PROGRAMS |
Net |
Rtg |
P2+ (000) |
|
1 |
FUERZA DEL DESTINO M-F |
UNI |
19.6 |
4770 |
|
2 |
FAMILIA CON SUERTE M-F |
UNI |
15.8 |
3988 |
|
3 |
CUANDO ME ENAMORO M-F |
UNI |
12.2 |
2698 |
|
4 |
ROSA DE GUADALUPE WTF.S |
UNI |
11.4 |
2935 |
|
5 |
DON FRANCISCO PRESENTA MO |
UNI |
11.0 |
2354 |
|
6 |
AQUI Y AHORA TUE |
UNI |
10.5 |
2396 |
|
7 |
SABADO GIGANTE SAT |
UNI |
9.7 |
2055 |
|
8 |
SAL Y PIMIENTA SUN |
UNI |
8.9 |
1986 |
|
9 |
MI CORAZON INSISTE M |
TEL |
7.6 |
1680 |
|
10 |
C. CERRADO-ED. ESTELAR M-F |
TEL |
7.5 |
1602 |
|
11 |
MAID EN MANHATTAN TWTF.. |
TEL |
7.0 |
1536 |
|
12 |
ASI ES...GLORIA TREVI12/4(S)-12/04/2011 |
UNI |
6.7 |
1439 |
|
13 |
CASA DE AL LADO M-F |
TEL |
6.5 |
1419 |
|
14 |
ESP: FUTBOL ESTELAR 12/4(S)-12/04/2011 |
TEL |
5.9 |
1367 |
|
15 |
HORA PICO SAT |
UNI |
5.7 |
1291 |
|
16 |
FLOR SALVAJE M-F |
TEL |
5.4 |
1185 |
|
17 |
CINE DE LAS ESTREL SUN |
TF |
5.3 |
1445 |
|
18 |
PA'LANTE CON CRISTINA |
TEL |
4.6 |
993 |
|
19 |
LIGA MEX FUTBOL THR |
TF |
4.4 |
963 |
|
20 |
CINE DE LAS ESTREL SUN 2 |
TF |
4.1 |
1079 |
|
21 |
FLM WED 1 |
AZA |
3.3 |
725 |
|
22 |
CINE DE IMPACTO II |
TEL |
2.8 |
890 |
|
23 |
PROTAGONISTAS MTWT… |
TF |
2.4 |
532 |
|
24 |
TELETON 12/03/11-06(S)-12/03/2011 |
TF |
2.3 |
565 |
|
25 |
ULTIMO MATRIMONIO FLZ MTW |
TF |
2.0 |
372 |
|
Source: Nielsen |
|
HISPANIC ENGLISH-LANGUAGE VIEWING
Ranked on Households
Week Ending Dec. 4 |
|
# |
PROGRAMS |
Net |
Rtg |
P2+(000) |
|
1 |
NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL |
NBC |
6.9 |
1387 |
|
2 |
OT, THE |
FOX |
6.7 |
1529 |
|
3 |
SUNDAY NIGHT NFL PRE-KICK |
NBC |
5.4 |
1118 |
|
3 |
VICTORIA'S SECRET FASHION(S)-11/29/2011 |
CBS |
5.4 |
1064 |
|
5 |
X-FACTOR-WED |
FOX |
5.0 |
1088 |
|
6 |
FOOTBALL NT AMERICA PT 3 |
NBC |
4.6 |
956 |
|
7 |
X-FACTOR-THU |
FOX |
4.1 |
867 |
|
8 |
GLEE |
FOX |
3.6 |
737 |
|
9 |
FAMILY GUY |
FOX |
3.5 |
789 |
|
10 |
NEW GIRL |
FOX |
3.3 |
729 |
|
10 |
SIMPSONS |
FOX |
3.3 |
683 |
|
Source: Nielsen |
|
AFRICAN AMERICAN AUDIENCE ESTIMATES
Ranked on Households
Week Ending Dec. 4 |
|
# |
PROGRAMS |
Net |
Rtg |
P2+(000) |
|
1 |
FOX NFL SUNDAY-NATIONAL |
FOX |
39.8 |
7872 |
|
2 |
NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL |
NBC |
15.3 |
2957 |
|
3 |
OT, THE |
FOX |
13.9 |
2750 |
|
4 |
X-FACTOR-WED |
FOX |
11.8 |
2533 |
|
5 |
SUNDAY NIGHT NFL PRE-KICK |
NBC |
11.4 |
2149 |
|
6 |
X-FACTOR-THU |
FOX |
10.0 |
2069 |
|
7 |
SEC CHAMP-CBS: DR PEPPER |
CBS |
9.8 |
1983 |
|
8 |
VICTORIA'S SECRET FASHION |
CBS |
8.8 |
1694 |
|
9 |
FOOTBALL NT AMERICA PT 3 |
NBC |
8.5 |
1618 |
|
10 |
CSI: MIAMI |
CBS |
7.9 |
1583 |
|
* Ratings based on 13.65 million African American TV homes.
Source: Nielsen |
|
TOP 20 NETWORK SPORTS PROGRAMS
Ranked on Viewers
Week Ending Dec. 4 |
|
# |
PROGRAMS |
Net |
Episode |
Households |
Persons 2+ |
|
US
Rtg% |
(000) |
(000) |
|
1 |
FOX NFL SUNDAY-NATIONAL-12/04/2011 |
FOX |
VARIOUS TEAMS AND TIMES |
17.6 |
20152 |
29774 |
|
2 |
FOX NFL SUNDAY-PST GN-NAT-12/04/2011 |
FOX |
VARIOUS TEAMS AND TIMES |
15.6 |
17891 |
27177 |
|
3 |
CBS NFL SINGLE-12/04/2011 |
CBS |
VARIOUS TEAMS AND TIMES |
11.5 |
13172 |
19010 |
|
4 |
NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL-12/04/2011 |
NBC |
DETROIT AT NEW ORLEANS |
11.5 |
13210 |
18896 |
|
5 |
FOX NFL SUNDAY-REGIONAL-12/04/2011 |
FOX |
VARIOUS TEAMS AND TIMES |
8.8 |
10087 |
14453 |
|
6 |
SEC CHAMP-CBS: DR PEPPER-12/03/2011 |
CBS |
LSU VS GEORGIA |
7.3 |
8426 |
12016 |
|
7 |
BIG TEN FOOTBALL CH GAME-12/03/2011 |
FOX |
MICHIGAN STATE VS WISCONSIN |
4.6 |
5287 |
7777 |
|
8 |
CBS NFL SINGLE BONUS-12/04/2011 |
CBS |
NY JETS AT WASHINGTON |
3.8 |
4306 |
6069 |
|
9 |
SAT NIGHT FOOTBALL-12/03/2011 |
ABC |
OKLAHOMA AT OKLAHOMA ST |
3.6 |
4134 |
5898 |
|
10 |
ABC COLLEGE FTBL GM-EARLY-12/03/2011 |
ABC |
SO MISSISSIPPI AT HOUSTON |
3.1 |
3538 |
4397 |
|
11 |
PAC-12 FOOTBALL CHAMP GM-12/02/2011 |
FOX |
UCLA AT OREGON |
2.9 |
3346 |
4488 |
|
12 |
WORLD CHALLENGE GOLF-SUN-12/04/2011 |
NBC |
|
2.4 |
2753 |
3549 |
|
13 |
ABC COLLEGE FTBL GM-LATE-12/03/2011 |
ABC |
TEXAS AT BAYLOR |
2.3 |
2594 |
3259 |
|
14 |
CBS NFL SINGLE BONUS 12/4-12/04/2011 |
CBS |
NY JETS AT WASHINGTON |
2.3 |
2611 |
4009 |
|
15 |
NCAA BASKETBALL-SAT-12/03/2011 |
CBS |
UNC AT KENTUCKY |
2 |
2325 |
3070 |
|
16 |
WORLD CHALLENGE GOLF-SAT-12/03/2011 |
NBC |
|
1.7 |
1975 |
2435 |
|
17 |
CBS SPORTS SPECTACULAR-SU-12/04/2011 |
CBS |
CELEBRITY SKI FEST |
1.2 |
1418 |
1810 |
|
18 |
ISU GP FIG SKATING 12/3-12/03/2011 |
NBC |
RUSSIA |
0.8 |
888 |
1049 |
|
19 |
ESP: FUTBOL ESTELAR 12/4-12/04/2011 |
TEL |
TIGRES VS QUERETARO |
0.8 |
873 |
1455 |
|
20 |
LIGA MEX FUTBOL THR-12/01/2011 |
TF |
QUERETARO VS TIGRES |
0.5 |
626 |
980 |
|
Source: Nielsen |
|
|
|
