NBC’s primetime Olympic success has spilled into the network’s other dayparts.
During the first week of the Games, the network’s morning news show, “Today,” and evening “NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams” both got a Beijing boost, pushing them to their biggest advantages over the competition in eight and four years, respectively.
Meanwhile, ratings for NBC’s late local newscasts and the half-hour show “Olympic Zone,” which airs weeknights at 7:30 p.m. on most NBC affiliates, are both way up over the prior four weeks.
Final numbers for “Today” won’t be released until this afternoon. But based on preliminary timeslot data, the show is on track for its best week since Feb. 13, 2006, when the show originated from Torino during the Winter Games.
“Today” averaged 6.9 million total viewers and a 5.2 household rating and 18 share that week, on its way to its best-ever Olympics showing.
NBC also predicts that the show will notch its largest advantage over rival “Good Morning America” on ABC since the week of the 2000 presidential election, Nov. 6, 2000. All four of “Today’s” main anchors have been reporting live from Beijing.
Williams, too, is in Beijing, and while his numbers didn’t get quite the kick “Today” did--his viewership didn’t even mark a season best--he still grabbed a huge advantage over the competition.
For the week ended Aug. 17, Williams averaged 9.41 million total viewers, his best delivery since the week of March 3. ABC points out that this is down 8 percent compared to “Nightly’s” first week in Athens four years ago.
But with a lead of 2.47 million over ABC and 3.79 million over CBS, “Nightly” notched its best advantage over its rivals since the week of Nov. 29, 2004, when Williams succeeded Tom Brokaw.
Meanwhile, stations across the country have seen their late local news soar behind the Olympics, though Games action hasn’t wrapped up until well past midnight. The 11 p.m. newscasts are up 67 percent during the first week of the Games.
Finally, the half-hour special “Olympic Zone,” which previews the night’s primetime coverage and gives updates on local athletes, has seen huge ratings gains on local affiliates. San Francisco’s numbers are up the most over the prior four weeks, 404 percent, while Los Angeles has risen 395 percent and Miami 336 percent.
***
Meanwhile, in other dayparts for the week ended Aug. 10, NBC’s “Meet the Press” was first among the Sunday morning shows in total viewers with 3.35 million tuning in and among viewers 25-54 with a 1.1 rating. CBS’s “Face the Nation” was second in viewers with 2.46 million and tied for second among 25-54s with a 0.7, with ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” pulling 2.24 million viewers and a 0.7 among 25-54s. “Fox News Sunday” averaged 1.18 million viewers and a 0.4 rating among 25-54s.
In late night, NBC’s “Tonight Show with Jay Leno” was first for the week, averaging 4.7 million total viewers and a 1.4 rating among adults 18-49. CBS’s “The Late Show with David Letterman” had 3.0 million viewers and a 0.9 rating in the demo, as did ABC’s “Nightline.” In late-late night, NBC’s “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” had 1.9 million total viewers and a 0.8 in 18-49s, with CBS’s “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” at 1.4 million viewers and a 0.5, ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” also at 1.4 million viewers and a 0.5 (including a Monday encore), and NBC’s “Last Call with Carson Daly” bringing in 1.1 million viewers and a 0.5 among 18-49s in repeats.
In morning shows, NBC’s “Today” was first with 5.0 million total viewers and a 3.9 household rating and 15 share, followed by ABC’s “Good Morning America” with 3.7 million viewers and a 3.0/11. CBS’s “Early Show” was third with 2.4 million total viewers and a 1.8/7.
CBS once again had the largest full daytime audience during the week, averaging 3.62 million viewers, but was second among women 18-49 with a 1.1 rating. ABC had the second-largest audience, averaging 2.66 million viewers, and was first among women 18-49 with a 1.2 rating. NBC had a full daytime audience of 2.48 million and was third among women 18-49 with a 1.0 rating.
|
SUNDAY MORNING SHOW RATINGS
Week ending August 10, 2008
Sunday averages |
|
Program |
Network |
Households |
|
|
Rtg% |
Shr |
Adults 25-54 |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
Meet the Press |
NBC |
2.5 |
8 |
1.1
|
3.354 |
|
Face the Nation |
CBS |
1.7 |
5 |
0.7 |
2.457 |
|
This Week With George Stephanopoulos |
ABC |
1.7 |
5 |
0.7 |
2.239 |
|
News Sunday |
Fox |
0.9 |
3 |
0.4 |
1.178 |
|
Source: NTI |
|
LATE-NIGHT RATINGS
Week Ending August 10, 2008
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
People 2+ |
Adults 18-49 |
|
Total viewers (millions) |
Rtg% |
|
Tonight Show with Jay Leno* |
NBC |
4.7 |
1.4 |
|
Late Show with David Letterman |
CBS |
3.0 |
0.9 |
|
Nightline |
ABC |
3.0 |
0.9 |
|
Late Night with Conan O’Brien* |
NBC |
1.9 |
0.8 |
|
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson* |
CBS |
1.4 |
0.5 |
|
Jimmy Kimmel Live* |
ABC |
1.4 |
0.5 |
|
Last Call with
Carson Daly* |
NBC |
1.1 |
0.5 |
|
*Friday’s “Tonight” and “Late Night” were delayed by Olympics and that night’s “Last Call” was preempted. “Late Late Show” was delayed by golf on Thursday and Friday and those results are excluded from the weekly averages. Monday’s “Kimmel” was an encore.
Source: NTI
|
|
MORNING SHOW RATINGS
Week Ending August 10, 2008
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
Households |
People 2+ |
|
Rtg% |
Shr |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
Today |
NBC |
3.9 |
15 |
5.0 |
|
Good Morning
America |
ABC |
3.0 |
11 |
3.7 |
|
Early Show |
CBS |
1.8 |
7 |
2.4 |
|
Source: NTI |
|
DAYTIME RATINGS
Week Ending August 10, 2008
Five-day averages |
|
|
Total viewers (millions) |
Women 18-49 |
|
Network |
(millions) |
Rtg% |
|
CBS |
3.62 |
1.1 |
|
ABC |
2.66 |
1.2 |
|
NBC |
2.48 |
1.0 |
|
Source: NTI |
|
EVENING NETWORK NEWS RATINGS
Week Ending August 17, 2008
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
25-54s |
People 2+ |
|
Rtg% |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams |
NBC |
2.5 |
9.407 |
|
ABC World News with Charles Gibson |
ABC |
1.7 |
6.937 |
|
CBS Evening News with Katie Couric |
CBS |
1.4 |
5.613 |
|
Source: Nielsen Media Research |
|
SYNDICATION
Ranked on Households
Week Ending August 10, 2008
|
|
# |
PROGRAMS |
Syndicator |
Households |
|
US
Rtg% |
(000) |
|
1
|
WHEEL OF FORTUNE
|
CTD
|
6.7
|
7508
|
|
2
|
JEOPARDY
|
CTD
|
5.5
|
6172
|
|
3
|
TWO-HALF MEN-SYN (AT)
|
WB
|
4.5
|
5100
|
|
4
|
JUDGE JUDY (AT)
|
CTD
|
4.4
|
4956
|
|
5
|
OPRAH WINFREY SHOW
|
CTD
|
4.3
|
4845
|
|
6
|
FAMILY GUY-MF-SYN (AT)
|
2/T
|
3.9
|
4376
|
|
7
|
ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT(AT)
|
CTD
|
3.5
|
3950
|
|
8
|
DR. PHIL SHOW (AT)
|
CTD
|
3.4
|
3833
|
|
8
|
SEINFELD (AT)
|
SPT
|
3.4
|
3807
|
|
10
|
WHEEL OF FORTUNE WKND
|
CTD
|
3.1
|
3474
|
|
11
|
EVRY LVS RAYMOND-SYN(AT)
|
CTD
|
3.0
|
3392
|
|
11
|
SEINFELD-WKND (AT)
|
SPT
|
3.0
|
3368
|
|
13
|
CSI MIAMI-SYN (AT)
|
CTD
|
2.9
|
