NBC Ranks #2 in Adults 18-49 for Week of December 5 -11

Paced by "NBC Sunday Night Football," which ranked #1 among all primetime programs this week in adults 18-49 and most other key measures, NBC ranked #2 for the week in adults 18-49 and total viewers, averaging a 2.4 rating, 7 share in adults 18-49 and 7.3 million viewers overall for the week of December 5-11, according to in-home viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research.

For the week, NBC ranked #2 among the broadcast networks in adults 18-49, adults 25-54 and total viewers and was #1 in adults 18-34. NBC also ranked #1 for the week in men 18-34 and men 18-49 and was #2 in men 25-54, women 18-34 and women 25-54 (tied).

This week's "NBC Sunday Night Football" telecast, in which the New York Giants rallied from 12 points down in the fourth quarter to defeat the Dallas Cowboys 37-34, was the #1 primetime program of the week in the key demographic of adults 18-49, as well as in adults 18-34, adults 25-54 and all key adult-male demographics - men 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54. And, with an average 24.5 million viewers, "Sunday Night Football" was the #1 primetime program of the week in total viewers. Also ranking among the top programs of the week in primetime's key demographic of adults 18-49 was "The Office" (#19, tied). Among adults 18-34, "The Office" ranked #6 this week (rankings exclude NFL overruns and pre- and post-game telecasts).

Primetime averages for the week of December 5-11 in adults 18-49 were CBS (2.7/7), NBC (2.4/7), Fox (2.1/6), ABC (1.7/5) and CW (0.6/2). In overall total viewers the weekly averages were CBS (10.5 million), NBC (7.3 million), ABC (6.2 million), Fox (6.0 million) and CW (1.3 million).

NBC highlights for the week of December 5-11:

* On Sunday, NBC Sports' "Sunday Night Football" telecast of the New York Giants at the Dallas Cowboys fueled a dominant primetime victory in all key measures -- adults, men and women 18-49; adults, men and women 18-34; adults, men and women 25-54; plus total viewers.

* With an average 24.5 million viewers, this week's Giants-Cowboys game attracted the second highest overall viewership of any NBC Sunday NFL game so far this season.

* NBC topped its closest primetime competitor Sunday night by 129 percent in adults 18-49 and by 53 percent or more than 7.1 million persons in total viewers.

* On Friday, "Grimm" built on its lead-in by 60 percent in adults 18-49 and 47 percent in total viewers to rank #1 in the hour among ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and CW in adults 18-49, adults 18-34, adults 25-54 and other key demos.

* "Grimm" this week was up 23 percent in adults 18-49 versus NBC's average in its Friday time period last season and up 33 percent versus NBC's result in the slot on the same night last year

* So far this season, "Grimm" has been adding an average 55 percent to its next-day "live plus same day" 18-49 rating when Nielsen reports time-shifted "live plus seven day" results, making "Grimm" the #1 new show and the #2 program overall on ABC, CBS, NBC or Fox in terms of percentage gains in 18-49 rating in going from "live plus same day" to "live plus seven day" results.

* Also on Friday, "Dateline" ranked #1 in its hour among the broadcast networks in adults 18-49, adults 25-54 and most other key measures. "Dateline" reported its top 18-49 rating since September 23, during premiere week, and attracted its biggest overall viewership since October 7.

* NBC tied for #1 among ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and CW Friday night in adults 18-49 and adults 25-54 and ranked #1 outright in all key adult-male demos.

* On Thursday, "The Office" ranked #1 among the broadcast networks in its time period in adults 18-49, adults 18-34 and other key measures. "The Office" built on its lead-in by 61 percent in 18-49 rating and 59 percent in total viewers and also attracted its biggest overall viewership since November 10.

* A special Thursday telecast of "Grimm" tracked down NBC's highest 18-49 rating in this time period in 11 weeks, since September 22 during premiere week

* On Wednesday, "Up All Night" was up versus its prior telecast by 27 percent in adults 18-49 and 14 percent in total viewers, attracting the show's biggest overall viewership since October 19 and matching its top 18-49 rating since that same date.

* "Up All Night" this week was up 46 percent in adults 18-49 versus NBC's average in the time period last season.

* So far this season, "Up All Night" is the #1 comedy and the #2 new series on ABC, CBS, NBC or Fox, behind only NBC's "Grimm," in terms of percentage increase in going from "live plus same day" to "live plus seven" in 18-49 rating, gaining on average 47 percent.

* Also on Wednesday, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" built on its lead-in by 58 percent in 18-49 rating while competing dramas on ABC and CBS were down versus those networks' 9-10 p.m. results. From its first half-hour to its second, "SVU" also grew in both adults 18-49 and in total viewers, while competing dramas on ABC and CBS declined from half-hour to half-hour in both measures

* So far this season, "SVU" has been adding 45 percent in 18-49 rating and 31 percent in total viewers when going from "live plus same day" to its "live plus seven day" results.

* On Tuesday, "The Biggest Loser" weighed in with NBC's biggest overall audience in the time period this season. "Loser" ranked #2 in the two-hour slot in adults 18-49 and total viewers and was #1 in adults 25-54.

* For its second hour from 10-11 p.m. ET, "The Biggest Loser" ranked #1 among the broadcast networks in adults 18-49, adults 18-34, adults 25-54 and other key demographics.

* Also on Tuesday, "A Michael Bubl? Christmas" delivered NBC's second biggest overall audience in the 8-9 p.m. ET time period so far this season, second only to the opening hour of the prior week's "Biggest Loser."

Ratings reflect "live plus same day" data unless otherwise noted. Season-to-date figures are averages of "live plus seven day" data except for the two most recent weeks, which are "live plus same day."

Additional NBC highlights for the week of December 5-11:

On Monday, December 5 from 8-10 p.m. ET, a holiday edition of "The Sing-Off" averaged a 1.1 rating, 3 share in adults 18-49, and 4.2 million viewers overall. Note that on average this season, "The Sing-Off" has added 21 percent to its "live plus same day" 18-49 rating when Nielsen reports additional time-shifted viewing in "live plus seven day" results.

Monday at 10 p.m. ET, "Rock Center with BrIan Williams" averaged a 0.9/2 in 18-49 and 3.4 million viewers overall.

On Tuesday, December 6 from 8-9 p.m. ET, "A Michael Bubl? Christmas" (1.5/4 in 18-49, 7.1 million viewers) delivered NBC's second biggest overall audience in this time period so far this season, second only to the opening hour of the prior week's "Biggest Loser," despite competition in the hour this week from Fox's "Glee," CBS's "NCIS" encore and ABC's "Last Man Standing" and "Man Up." From its first half-hour to its second, "A Michael Bubl? Christmas" grew by 14 percent in adults 18-49 (to a 1.6 rating from a 1.4) and 17 percent or 1.1 million persons in total viewers (7.6 million vs. 6.5 million).

Tuesday from 9-11 p.m. ET, "The Biggest Loser" (2.2/6 in 18-49, 6.7 million viewers overall) attracted NBC's biggest overall audience in the time period this season, despite competition that included Fox's "The New Girl" and "Raising Hope," ABC's encores of "The Middle" and "Suburgatory" and an original "Body of Proof" and CBS's "NCIS: LA" and "Unforgettable" rebroadcasts. "Biggest Loser" ranked #2 in the time period in adults 18-49 and total viewers and #1 in adults 25-54.

For its second hour from 10-11 p.m. ET, "The Biggest Loser" ranked #1 among the broadcast networks in adults 18-49, adults 18-34, adults 25-54 and other key demographics.

On Wednesday, December 7 from 8-9 p.m. ET, "Up All Night" (1.9/6 in adults 18-49, 5.0 million viewers overall) was up versus its prior telecast by 27 percent in adults 18-49 (to a 1.9 rating from a 1.5 on November 23) and by 14 percent in total viewers (5.0 million vs. 4.3 million).

"Up All Night" attracted its biggest overall viewership since October 19 and matched its top 18-49 rating since that same date. This week's "Up All Night" was up 46 percent in 18-49 rating versus the 1.3 that NBC averaged in this time period last season ("live plus same day," non-sports), despite formidable time-period competition from Fox's "X Factor," CBS's "Survivor" and ABC's "The Middle."

Note that "Up All Night" has been adding on average 47 percent to these next-day "live plus same day" ratings when Nielsen issues "live plus seven day" results so far this season, the biggest percentage increase for any comedy on ABC, CBS, NBC or Fox and the second biggest for any new series on those networks, behind only NBC's "Grimm."

Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. ET, a rebroadcast of "Up All Night" (1.4/4 in 18-49, 3.8 million viewers overall) matched the show's highest 18-49 rating among five rebroadcasts in this time period so far this season. Versus its prior encore telecast in this slot two weeks ago, "Up All Night" was up 40 percent in 18-49 rating (to a 1.4 from a 1.0 on November 23) and up 28 percent in total viewers (3.835 million vs. 3.004 million).

Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET, "Harry's Law" averaged a 1.2/3 in adults 18-49 and 7.1 million viewers overall. In total viewers, the 10 original episodes of "Harry's Law" this fall have delivered NBC's 10 biggest audiences in the time period on in-season Wednesdays since February 9. Versus NBC's total-viewer average in the time slot last season, this week's "Harry's Law" is up 23 percent (7.082 million vs. 5.752 million, "live plus same day," non-sports).

It is worth noting that "Harry's Law" has been adding 41 percent in 18-49 rating and 30 percent in total viewers to these next-day "live plus same day" results when Nielsen issues "live plus seven day" results so far this season

Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (1.9/5 in 18-49, 7.0 million viewers overall) built on its lead-in by 58 percent in 18-49 rating while competing dramas on ABC and CBS were down versus 9-10 p.m. results. From its first half-hour to its second, "SVU" grew by 5 percent in both adults 18-49 (to a 2.0 rating from a 1.9) and in total viewers (7.215 million vs. 6.844 million), while competing dramas on ABC and CBS declined from half-hour to half-hour in both measures.

It's worth noting that so far this season, "SVU" has been adding 45 percent in 18-49 rating and 31 percent in total viewers to its next-day "live plus same day" results when Nielsen issues "live plus seven day" results

On Thursday, December 8 at 8 p.m. ET, "Community" averaged a 1.5/5 in 18-49 and 3.6 million viewers overall. "Community" tied for #2 in the slot among ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and CW in adults 18-34 (tied with Fox's "X Factor") and ranked #2 outright in men 18-34 in a tough time period opposite CBS's "Big Bang Theory," Fox's "X Factor" and ABC's "Wipeout" holiday special. On average this season, "Community" originals have been adding 39 percent to their next-day "live plus same day" 18-49 rating when Nielsen reports additional time-shifted viewing in "live plus seven day" ratings.

Thursday at 8:30 ET, "Parks and Recreation" (1.8/5 in 18-49, 3.6 million viewers overall) built on its 18-49 lead-in by 20 percent in a slot where NBC was on average flat last season versus original lead-ins from "Community." "Parks and Recreation" improved on NBC's average in the time period last season by 13 percent in 18-49 rating (1.8 vs. 1.6, "live plus same day," non-sports). Keep in mind that on average this season, original telecasts of "Parks" have been adding 34 percent to their next-day "live plus same day" 18-49 rating when Nielsen includes additional time-shifted viewing in "live plus seven day" ratings.

"Parks and Recreation" ranked #1 among ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and CW in men 18-34 and #2 in adults and women 18-34 in a competitive time period opposite Fox's "X Factor," CBS's "Rules of Engagement" and ABC's "Wipeout" holiday special.

Thursday from 9-9:31 p.m. ET, "The Office" (2.9/8 in 18-49, 5.8 million viewers overall) ranked #1 among the broadcast networks in adults 18-49, adults 18-34 and other key measures. "The Office" built on its lead-in by 61 percent in 18-49 rating and 59 percent in total viewers in a competitive time period versus Fox's "Bones," CBS's "Person of Interest" and ABC's" Home Videos" Christmas special. "The Office" matched the 18-49 rating of its prior two telecasts and attracted its biggest overall viewership since November 10.

Note that on average this season, "Office" originals have been adding 43 percent to their next-day "live plus same day" 18-49 rating when Nielsen reports additional time-shifted viewing in "live plus seven day" ratings.

Thursday at 9:31 ET, "Whitney" (1.9/5 in adults 18-49, 4.1 million viewers overall) ranked #1 among ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and CW in adults, men and women 18-34 in a competitive time period versus Fox's Bones," CBS's "Person of Interest" and ABC's "Home Videos" Christmas special. "Whitney matched the 18-49 rating of its prior two telecasts and delivered its biggest overall audience since November 10. Note that on average this season, "Whitney" originals have been adding 34 percent to their next-day "live plus same day" 18-49 rating when Nielsen reports additional time-shifted viewing in "live plus seven day" ratings.

At 10 p.m. ET, a special Thursday telecast of "Grimm" (1.6/4 in 18-49, 4.1 million viewers overall) tracked down NBC's highest 18-49 rating in this time period in 11 weeks, since September 22 during premiere week. In the time period, "Grimm" ranked #1 among ABC, CBS and NBC in men 18-34 and #2 ahead of ABC's "Great Big American Auction" in adults 18-49, adults 18-34, adults 25-54 and other key demos.

Versus NBC's 18-49 average in this time period this season, "Grimm" was up 23 percent (1.6 vs. 1.3, "live plus same day").

On Friday, December 9 from 8-9 p.m. ET, "Chuck" (1.0/3 in 18-49, 3.7 million viewers overall) equaled its season high in adults 18-49 and hit a new season high in total viewers. Versus its prior telecast on November 18, "Chuck" was up 11 percent in 18-49 rating (1.0 vs. 0.9) and 19 percent in total viewers (3.693 million vs. 3.109 million).

Friday at 9 p.m. ET, "Grimm" (1.6/5 in 18-49, 5.4 million viewers overall) ranked #1 in the hour among ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and CW in adults 18-49, adults 18-34, adults 25-54 and other key demos. Despite having last aired on a Friday three weeks prior, "Grimm" returned with an 18-49 rating that matched its performance on Friday November 11 and 18.

"Grimm" was up 23 percent in 18-49 rating versus NBC's average in this time period last season (1.6 vs. 1.3, "live plus same day," non-sports) and up 33 percent versus NBC's result in this slot on the same night last year (1.6 vs. 1.2).

"Grimm" built on its lead-in by 60 percent in 18-49 rating and 47 percent in total viewers.

So far this season, "Grimm" has been adding an average 55 percent to its next-day "live plus same day" 18-49 rating when Nielsen reports time-shifted "live plus seven day" results (to a 2.78 rating from a 1.79). This makes "Grimm" the #1 new show and the #2 program overall on ABC, CBS, NBC or Fox in terms of percentage gains in 18-49 rating in going from "live plus same day" to "live plus seven day" results.

Friday from 10-11 p.m. ET, "Dateline NBC" (1.7/5 in adults 18-49, 5.8 million viewers overall) ranked #1 in the hour among the broadcast networks in adults 18-49, adults 25-54 and most other key demographics. "Dateline" reported its top 18-49 rating since September 23, during premiere week, and delivered its biggest overall viewership since October 7.

From its first half-hour to its second, "Dateline" increased in all key ratings categories, including gains of 20 percent in both 18-49 rating (to a 1.8 from a 1.5) and total viewers (6.332 million vs. 5.266 million).

NBC tied for #1 among ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and CW Friday night in adults 18-49 and adults 25-54 and ranked #1 outright in all key adult-male demos.

On Saturday, December 10 from 8-10 p.m. ET, "The American Giving Awards" averaged a 0.3/1 in 18-49 and 1.5 million viewers overall.

At 10 p.m., ET, an encore telecast of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (0.7/2 in 18-49, 3.1 million viewers overall) grew from its first half-hour to its second in most key measures, including gains of 33 percent in 18-49 rating (to 0.8 from 0.6) and 38 percent in total viewers (3.6 million vs. 2.6 million).

On Sunday, December 11, the "NBC Sunday Night Football" telecast of the New York Giants at the Dallas Cowboys fueled a dominant primetime win for NBC in all key measures. For its full duration, the Giants-Cowboys game averaged a 9.4/23 in adults 18-49, 24.5 million viewers overall and a 14.9/23 household rating/share from 8:31-11:54 p.m. ET.

This week's Giants-Cowboys game attracted the second highest overall viewership of any NBC Sunday NFL game so far this season, behind only the September 11 Cowboys-Jets game.

NBC won Sunday night in all key ratings categories - adults, men and women 18-49; adults, men and women 18-34; adults, men and women 25-54; plus total viewers. NBC topped its closest primetime rival by 129 percent in 18-49 rating (7.8 vs. a 3.4 for CBS, which was boosted by an NFL overrun) and 53 percent or more than 7.1 million persons in total viewers (20.744 million vs. 13.575 million for CBS).

Also on Sunday, "Football Night in America 2" from 7:30-7:58 p.m. ET averaged a 3.0/8 in 18-49, 8.2 million viewers overall and a 5.0/8 household rating/share. "Football Night in America 3" from 7:58-8:22 p.m. delivered a 4.9/13 in 18-49, 13.3 million viewers overall and an 8.0/13 in households. From 8:22-8:31 p.m., "NBC Sunday Night Football Pre Kickoff" averaged a 6.4/16 in 18-49, 17.6 million viewers overall and a 10.5/16 in households. Note: "Football Night in America" from 7-7:30 p.m. ET was sustaining programming and does not figure in the nightly or weekly primetime averages.

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