While Fox, ABC and NBC have traded the lead among adults 18-49 the last four years, CBS has held a solid grip on No. 1 among households and adults 25-54. But that may be about to change.
For the first time in several years, CBS did not win the opening week of the season in households. Instead ABC, with five shows in the top 10, won households and 25-54s, and it could keep up that streak in coming weeks if several of its yet-to-premiere shows turn in good performances.
That comes atop its tie with NBC for No. 1 in adults 18-49.
In households, for the week ended Sept. 30, ABC averaged a 7.9 rating and 13 share, according to Nielsen, slightly ahead of CBS’s 7.5/12. It was ABC’s first opening-week win in the demo since 1994.
In 25-54s, last week was a bit closer, with ABC averaging a 4.6/12, with CBS and NBC tying for second with a 4.3/11. ABC did win premiere week in that demo two years ago.
All the networks were down in both those categories, though ABC slipped the least, helped by an extra episode of “Dancing with the Stars,” which skews older.
The question is whether ABC will keep those leads, and its chances look decent to challenge CBS for the season lead in both. For one thing, “Stars” is expected to expand by up to an hour as the November sweeps near, assuming that sitcoms “Cavemen” and “Carpoolers” flop, giving ABC a stronger Tuesday night.
Second, several CBS shows are looking much weaker than last year, including “The Unit,” “Shark,” “CSI: NY” and “Criminal Minds,” which is suddenly in one of the week’s toughest timeslots, Wednesday at 9 p.m.
Most returning shows see their numbers decline after their debuts, which could mean a weaker week two for CBS.
Yet another factor is that while CBS has premiered the bulk of its schedule -- only the critically maligned “Viva Laughlin” has yet to debut -- ABC is premiering three new shows this week and one next, as well as returning drama “Men in Trees.”
That gives ABC the better odds. One or all three could catch, further hurting CBS. And even if they were all to bomb, ABC has “Lost,” one of its top shows, ready to slide on the schedule at midseason. CBS has no such options.
Meanwhile, in broadcast ratings for the week ended Sept. 30:
Among adults 18-49, NBC and ABC tied for first, each with a 3.9 rating and 11 share, followed by CBS at 3.4/10, Fox at 2.7/8, Univision at 1.4/4, CW at 1.1/3, MyNetworkTV and Telemundo at 0.4/1, Telefutura at 0.3/1 and Ion and Azteca at 0.1/0.
Among adults 18-34, NBC led with a 3.4 rating and a 10 share, followed by ABC at 3.2/10, Fox at 2.7/8, CBS at 2.4/7, Univision at 1.5/5, CW at 1.2/4, Telemundo at 0.5/1, Telefutura at 0.4/1, MyNetworkTV at 0.3/1, and Ion and Azteca at 0.1/0.
Among adults 25-54, ABC led with a 4.6 rating and a 12 share, followed by CBS at 4.4/11, NBC at 4.3/11, Fox at 2.9/7, Univision at 1.4/3, CW at 1.0/3, Telemundo and MyNetworkTV at 0.4/1, Telefutura at 0.3/1, Ion at 0.2/0 and Azteca at 0.1/0.
Top five English-language Big Five shows (18-49s): 1. ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” 8.8; 2. CBS’s “CSI” 8.2; 3. Fox’s “House” 7.8; 4. ABC’s “Desperate Housewives” 7.5; 5. NBC’s “Heroes” 7.3.
Top five English-language Big Five shows (total viewers): 1. CBS’s “CSI” 25.22 million; 2. ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars - Monday” 21.25 million; 3. ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” 20.93 million; 4. ABC’s “Desperate Housewives” 19.32 million; 5. ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars - Tuesday” 18.51 million.
Bottom five English-language Big Five shows (18-49s): 93. CW’s “Girlfriends” 0.6; 94. CW’s “America’s Next Top Model - Encore” 0.5; Tie-95. CW’s “CW Now” and “Gossip Girl – 9/30” 0.3; 97. CW’s “Online Nation” 0.2.
Bottom five English-language Big Five shows (total viewers): 93. CW’s “Girlfriends” 1.52 million; 94. CW’s “America’s Next Top Model - Encore” 1.10 million; 95. CW’s “CW Now” 790,000; 96. CW’s “Gossip Girl – 9/30” 780,000; 97. CW’s “Online Nation” 690,000.
Show on the rise: “CSI,” CBS, Thursday 9 p.m. The eighth-season criminal procedural was one of just a handful of shows to see its adults 18-49 premiere average rise over last year.
Show on the decline: “K-Ville,” Fox, Monday 9 p.m. Fox’s New Orleans-based cop drama got off to a decent start but slipped in week two, posting a 2.3 rating among viewers 18-49, off 30 percent from the previous week’s 3.3.
|
PRIMETIME AVERAGES BY NETWORK
Ranked on Households
Week Ending September 30 |
|
Network
|
Households
|
People 2+
|
Adults 18-49
|
|
Rtg%
|
(000)
|
Shr
|
Rtg%
|
(000)
|
Shr
|
Rtg%
|
(000)
|
Shr
|
|
ABC
|
7.9
|
8860
|
13
|
4.2
|
11900
|
11
|
3.9
|
5090
|
11
|
|
CBS
|
7.5
|
8510
|
13
|
4.1
|
11820
|
11
|
3.4
|
4470
|
10
|
|
NBC
|
6.2
|
7020
|
10
|
3.5
|
9930
|
9
|
3.9
|
5050
|
11
|
|
FOX
|
4.3
|
4860
|
7
|
2.4
|
6920
|
6
|
2.7
|
3580
|
8
|
|
CW
|
1.8
|
1990
|
3
|
1.0
|
2760
|
2
|
1.1
|
1470
|
3
|
|
UNI
|
1.8
|
1990
|
3
|
1.2
|
3300
|
3
|
1.4
|
1830
|
4
|
|
TEL
|
0.5
|
590
|
1
|
0.3
|
960
|
1
|
0.4
|
550
|
1
|
|
TF
|
0.4
|
410
|
1
|
0.2
|
680
|
1
|
0.3
|
440
|
1
|
|
ION
|
0.3
|
370
|
1
|
0.2
|
490
|
0
|
0.1
|
160
|
0
|
|
AZA
|
0.1
|
70
|
0
|
0.0
|
100
|
0
|
0.1
|
70
|
0
|
|
*
Each rating point is equivalent to
1. 114
million homes
Source: Nielsen Media Research
|
|
SEASON-TO-DATE PRIMETIME AVERAGES BY NETWORK
Ranked on Households
Week Ending September 30 |
|
Network
|
Households
|
People 2+
|
Adults 18-49
|
|
Rtg%
|
(000)
|
Shr
|
Rtg%
|
(000)
|
Shr
|
Rtg%
|
(000)
|
Shr
|
|
ABC
|
7.9
|
8860
|
13
|
4.2
|
11900
|
11
|
3.9
|
5090
|
11
|
|
CBS
|
7.5
|
8510
|
13
|
4.1
|
11820
|
11
|
3.4
|
4470
|
10
|
|
NBC
|
6.2
|
7020
|
10
|
3.5
|
9930
|
9
|
3.9
|
5050
|
11
|
|
FOX
|
4.3
|
4860
|
7
|
2.4
|
6920
|
6
|
2.7
|
3580
|
8
|
|
CW
|
1.8
|
1990
|
3
|
1.0
|
2760
|
2
|
1.1
|
1470
|
3
|
|
UNI
|
1.8
|
1990
|
3
|
1.2
|
3300
|
3
|
1.4
|
1830
|
4
|
|
TEL
|
0.5
|
590
|
1
|
0.3
|
960
|
1
|
0.4
|
550
|
1
|
|
TF
|
0.4
|
410
|
1
|
0.2
|
680
|
1
|
0.3
|
440
|
1
|
|
ION
|
0.3
|
370
|
1
|
0.2
|
490
|
0
|
0.1
|
160
|
0
|
