Buyers: NBC is the big story this fall

After so many years in the ratings basement, NBC has climbed to No. 1 among adults 18-49 this season and is the favorite to win the November sweeps.

That improbable turnaround is the story of the fall season, according to a survey of media buyers and planners.

Media Life asked readers to weigh in on the big developments of the fall, including the new season’s biggest hits, biggest bombs and most important storylines.

Asked what the defining story of the fall is, nearly half, 47.1 percent, pointed to NBC’s resurgence.

The surge in DVR viewership finished a distant second at 30.9 percent. Another 14.7 percent said the biggest fall story is the overall declining ratings for the networks, while 7.4 percent said it’s the lack of hit new shows.

Readers were full of praise for NBC. Asked which network’s performance this fall has been most impressive, 68.1 percent picked NBC.

It has won five of the first six weeks of the season and is the only Big Four network to see gains over last year in 18-49s.

No other network received more than 20 percent of the vote on this question. ABC was readers’ second choice at 17.4 percent, followed by CBS at 7.2 percent, the CW at 4.3 percent, and Fox and Telemundo at 1.4 percent.

Readers also picked NBC as the network most likely to win sweeps in 18-49s, getting 53.6 percent of the vote. CBS was second at 30.4 percent, ABC third at 13.0 percent and Fox fourth at 2.9 percent.

Finally, when asked to pick the new season’s biggest hit, readers selected an NBC show.

Nearly half, 48.5 percent, declared NBC’s “Revolution” fall’s biggest hit. No other show came close. ABC’s “Nashville” was the No. 2 choice with 17.6 percent of the vote, followed by CBS’s “Elementary” and the CW’s “Arrow” tied for third with 8.8 percent apiece.

Alas, NBC also won for biggest bomb.

The voting was a lot closer but NBC's now-canceled “Animal Practice” was the clear winner, getting a leading 20.6 percent of the vote.

“Made in Jersey,” the only other show to be canceled so far, was second with 16.2 percent of the vote, and ABC’s “666 Park Avenue,” a Sunday night drama, came in third with 11.8 percent.
 

Tags: abc, animal practice, cbs, cw, dvr, fall season, Jersey, nbc, new fall bombs, new fall hits, new shows, november sweeps, Park Avenue, ratings, revolution, Revolution Nearly