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Rarest of rating
feats: NBC rises to No.1


Longtime No. 4 network soars to win the week in 18-49s

Jul 1, 2009

NBC has been stuck in last place among the Big Four networks for so many seasons that it seems it’ll never reclaim its one-time lock on No. 1 in the 18-49 demographic.

So any blip that sees it soar into first place comes as something of a surprise.

That was the case last week, when the network ranked No. 1 in 18-49s on the back of its hit summer series “America’s Got Talent,” the scripted show “The Philanthropist” and specials remembering actress Farrah Fawcett and singer Michael Jackson.

NBC ranked No. 1 with a 1.6 rating in the demographic for the week ending June 28.

Fox was No. 2 with a 1.5. ABC and CBS tied at No. 3, each with a 1.3 rating.

The prior week, NBC ranked No. 3 behind Fox and CBS with a 1.3 rating.

Much of NBC’s bump this past week came from the return of “Talent,” a competition show from the producers of Fox’s “American Idol.”

“Talent’s” Tuesday and Wednesday episodes were the week’s highest-rated shows in 18-49s.

The show launched with a slew of publicity surrounding “Britain’s Got Talent,” which generated worldwide attention for its recent season, when runner-up Susan Boyle became an internet sensation. Boyle, a frumpy middle-aged woman with an astonishing voice, barely missed out on being named that show's top contender.

NBC also did well with two “Datelines” on Thursday and Friday, remembering Fawcett and Jackson.

In 18-49s, the two episodes tied at No. 16 and No. 10, respectively.

Perhaps most encouraging for NBC, though, was the debut of “The Philanthropist,” a scripted series that performed well at a time of year when original scripted series often slump. The show, about a wealthy businessman helping people in Africa, tied at No. 12 in 18-49s.

***
Note: Nielsen is no longer publishing the weekly Hispanic and African-American viewership charts, thus Media Life will no longer carry them in the ratings charts.

 

 

WEEKLY PRIMETIME AVERAGES BY NETWORK
Ranked on Households
Week Ending June 28

Network

Households

People 2+

Adults 18-49

Rtg%

(000)

Shr

Rtg%

(000)

Shr

Rtg%

(000)

Shr

CBS

4.3

4930

8

2.2

6510

7

1.3

1710

4

NBC

3.6

4080

7

1.9

5520

6

1.6

2050

5

ABC

2.9

3340

5

1.5

4470

5

1.3

1740

4

FOX

2.6

3020

5

1.4

4200

4

1.5

2020

5

UNI

1.7

1970

3

1.1

3250

3

1.3

1690

4

MNT

0.8

960

2

0.4

1260

1

0.4

520

1

CW

0.6

730

1

0.3

920

1

0.3

460

1

TEL

0.6

720

1

0.5

1330

1

0.6

810

2

ION

0.5

540

1

0.2

700

1

0.2

210

1

TF

0.3

390

1

0.2

680

1

0.3

410

1

AZA

0.1

100

0

0.1

160

0

0.1

100

0

* Each rating point is equivalent to 1. 145 million homes

Source: Nielsen Media Research 

 

             

SEASON-TO-DATE PRIMETIME AVERAGES BY NETWORK
Ranked on Households
Week Ending June 28

Network

Households

People 2+

Adults 18-49

Rtg%

(000)

Shr

Rtg%

(000)

Shr

Rtg%

(000)

Shr

CBS

6.6

7600

11

3.6

10570

10

2.7

3570

8

FOX

5.2

5900

9

3.0

8640

8

3.1

4140

9

ABC

5.1

5840

9

2.8

8010

7

2.5

3340

7

NBC

4.4

5030

7

2.4

7050

6

2.4

3190

7

UNI

1.9

2200

3

1.3

3830

3

1.5

1990

4

CW

1.2

1330

2

0.6

1740

2

0.7

970

2

TEL

0.6

680

1

0.4

1180

1

0.5

680

1

ION

0.4

490

1

0.2

630

1

0.2

210

0

TF

0.3

390

1

0.2

670

1

0.3

390

1

AZA

0.1

120

0

0.1

180

0

0.1

110

0

* Each rating point is equivalent to 1. 145 million homes

Note: Season-to-date estimates are a weighted average of pre-TSV and Live+SD data.
Source: Nielsen Media Research 

 

 

TOP 25 PROGRAMS – BROADCAST
Ranked on Households
Week Ending June 28

#

PROGRAMS

Net

HOUSEHOLDS

PERSONS 2+

Rtg%

Shr

(000)

#

Rtg%

(000)

1

NCIS

CBS

7.1

13

8158

2

3.8

11087

2

AMERICA'S GOT TALENT-TUE

NBC

6.8

12

7820

1

4.0

11462

3

AMERICA GOT TALENT-WED 9P

NBC

6.1

10

7020

3

3.6

10399

4

MENTALIST, THE - TUESDAY

CBS

5.9

10

6763

4

3.2

9146

5

60 MINUTES

CBS

5.8

12

6640

5

3.0

8794

6

TWO AND A HALF MEN

CBS

5.7

9

6502

5

3.0

8686

7

20/20 SP EDITION-6/25 10P(S)

ABC

5.6

10

6382

8

2.8

8172

7

CSI

CBS

5.6

10

6418

5

3.0

8739

9

CSI: MIAMI

CBS

5.3

9

6034

8

2.8

8012

10

CRIMINAL MINDS

CBS

5.0

9

5744

11

2.6

7558

11

CBS NEWS: MICHAEL JACKSON(S)

CBS

4.9

9

5631

11

2.6

7468

11

CSI: NY

CBS

4.9

9

5581

11

2.6

7429

13

48 HOURS MYSTERY TUESDAY

CBS

4.8

8

5511

17

2.4

6957

13

BIG BANG THEORY, THE

CBS

4.8

8

5527

15

2.5

7228

15

BACHELORETTE, THE

ABC

4.7

8

5358

19

2.3

6759

15

SO YOU THINK CN DANCE-WED

FOX

4.7

8

5370

11

2.6

7616

17

PHILANTHROPIST

NBC

4.6

8

5265

15

2.5

7119

18

DATELINE FRI

NBC

4.5

9

5148

19

2.3

6745

19

MENTALIST, THE - 6/25 SPC(S)

CBS

4.4

8

5021

21

2.2

6414

20

WIPEOUT

ABC

4.3

8

4930

10

2.7

7796

21

20/20-FRI

ABC

4.2

8

4830

24

2.1

6128

21

SO YOU THINK CN DANCE-THU

FOX

4.2

7

4804

17

2.4

6894

23

COLD CASE

CBS

4.1

7

4712

21

2.2

6416

23

MILLION DOLLAR PASSWORD

CBS

4.1

7

4732

21

2.2

6333

25

20/20 SP EDITION-6/25 9P(S)

ABC

3.9

7

4426

25

2.0

5718

Source: Nielsen Media Research

 

 

TOP 25 PROGRAMS – BROADCAST
Adults 18-49
Week Ending June 28

Rank

Program

Net

Rtg%

(000)

1

AMERICA'S GOT TALENT-TUE

NBC

3.2

4281

2

AMERICA GOT TALENT-WED 9P

NBC

3.1

4064

3

SO YOU THINK CN DANCE-WED

FOX

2.9

3764

4

WIPEOUT

ABC

2.8

3635

5

SO YOU THINK CN DANCE-THU

FOX

2.5

3363

5

TWO AND A HALF MEN

CBS

2.5

3334

7

BACHELORETTE, THE

ABC

2.3

2976

7

BIG BANG THEORY, THE

CBS

2.3

3009

9

20/20 SP EDITION-6/25 10P(S)

ABC

2.2

2931

10

MANANA PARA SIEMPRE TUE

UNI

2.1

2711

11

DATELINE FRI

NBC

2.0

2686

11

FAMILY GUY

FOX

2.0

2670

11

MANANA PARA SIEMPRE MON

UNI

2.0

2618

11

MANANA PARA SIEMPRE THU

UNI

2.0

2617

11

MANANA PARA SIEMPRE WED

UNI

2.0

2619

16

CBS NEWS: MICHAEL JACKSON(S)

CBS

1.9

2530

16

PHILANTHROPIST

NBC

1.9

2453

18

CSI: MIAMI

CBS

1.8

2315

18

NCIS

CBS

1.8

2342

20

20/20 SP EDITION-6/25 9P(S)

ABC

1.7

2215

20

AMERICAN DAD

FOX

1.7

2211

20

CRIMINAL MINDS

CBS

1.7

2188

20

CSI: NY

CBS

1.7

2279

20

DATELINE NBC 6/25(S)

NBC

1.7

2180

20

MANANA PARA SIEMPRE FRI

UNI

1.7

2193

Source: Nielsen Media Research

  

TOP 20 NETWORK SPORTS PROGRAMS
Ranked on Households

Week ending June 21

#

PROGRAMS

Net

Episode

Households

Persons 2+

US Rtg%

Shr

(000)

(000)

1

US OPEN GOLF-SUN-06/21/2009

NBC

 

4.7

12

5372

7073

2

US OPEN GOLF-SAT-06/20/2009

NBC

 

3.4

9

3850

4850

3

US OPEN GOLF-SUN BONUS-06/21/2009

NBC

 

2.7

8

3125

3876

4

US OPEN GOLF-SAT BONUS-06/20/2009

NBC

 

2.5

8

2904

3559

5

US OPEN GOLF-FRI-06/19/2009

NBC

 

2.1

6

2408

2806

6

WWE FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDWN-06/19/2009

MNT

 

1.7

3

2003

2824

7

FOX SATURDAY BASEBALL-06/20/2009

FOX

VARIOUS TEAMS AND TIMES

1.5

4

1678

2116

8

US OPEN GOLF-THU-06/18/2009

NBC

 

0.8

2

962

1121

9

IOWA CORN INDY 250-06/21/2009