NBC Wins 12/18-12/24 In 18-49 and Total Viewers

The week falls to NBC in every key measures when counting all programs and counting entertainment programs only. It's the seventh week in a row NBC has won in 18-49 and 6th win in 7 weeks in total viewers. Football, "Voice" & "Game of Games" are joined among the week's top-25 primetime shows on the big 4 in 18-49 by encores of "SNL Christmas," "Pitch Perfect" and "It's a Wonderful Life".

Season to Date, NBC Leads by a +33% Margin, Biggest Lead for Any Network 11 Weeks Into the Season in the 30-Year History of Nielsen's Current People Meter Sample. "Voice" Opens the Week With Its Most-Watched Monday Since the Season's 2nd Week; A Preview of "Ellen's Game of Games" Is NBC's Best Non-Sports Program in the Monday 10 p.m. Slot in 18-49 in 13 Months. Tuesday's "Voice" Grows Vs. the Show's Prior Finale by +5% in 18-49, +1.6 Million in Total Viewers; Week to Week, the Finale Is Up +18% in 18-49.Thursday's Encore "SNL" Christmas Special Wins the 9-11 p.m. Timeslot in 18-49.NBC Wins Friday in 18-49, "Dateline" Ties as #1 Show of the Night, "Blindspot" Captures Its Biggest Overall Audience Since Nov. 3, Then Generates Friday's Biggest L+3 Lift in Total Viewers. Vikings-Packers NFL Football Dominates Saturday Primetime in Every Key Category, Grows +18% vs. the Prior Regular-Season NFL Saturday Primetime Game.On Christmas Eve, "It's a Wonderful Life" Grows in Viewers for a 2nd Straight Year, Is NBC's Most-Watched Movie in More Than a Year.

NBC has delivered a dominant victory in primetime ratings for the week of Dec. 18-24, winning among the Big 4 networks in the key demographic of adults 18-49, plus total viewers and all other key ratings measures, according to "live plus same day" figures from Nielsen Media Research. NBC also led those networks in every key category when counting entertainment programs only.

Pacing NBC's dominant week were Saturday's Vikings-Packers NFL telecast, three "Voice" episodes and a preview of "Ellen's Game of Games," which accounted for five of the week's top nine primetime telecasts on ABC, CBS, NBC or FOX in both adults 18-49 and total viewers (excluding sports pre- and post-game shows).

Saturday football finished #1 on those rankers in both 18-49 and total viewers. In 18-49, the Monday and Tuesday "Voice" originals tied for #2, "Game of Games" tied for #6 and Tuesday's "Voice" recap tied for #8. Joining them in the top 25 were encores of "A SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE Christmas Special" (tied for #12), "Pitch Perfect" (tied for #18) and "It's a Wonderful Life" (tied for #22).

NBC is dominating the current primetime season in adults 18-49, with a lead over #2 FOX of +0.6 of a rating point or +33% (2.4 vs. 1.8). The +33% advantage is the best for any #1 network at this point in the season in the 30-year history of Nielsen's current people-meter sample.

In total viewers, NBC currently runs #2 and has narrowed CBS's lead to 529,000 persons (9.6 million vs. 9.1 million through 13 weeks). That virtually matches the deficit at this time last year (468,000), marking the two smallest NBC deficits behind CBS at this point in the season in the last 16 years (since 2001-02, 99,000 viewers).

Season to date, NBC is running #1 among ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX in adults 18-49 and every other key demographic. Counting entertainment programming only, NBC leads the season in adults 18-49, and also ranks #1 among the Big 4 in adults 25-54, adults 18-34 and all key adult-female demos (including a tie in adults 18-34).

Weekly ratings are "live plus same day" figures from Nielsen Media Research unless otherwise noted. Season-to-date ratings are averages of "live plus seven day" data except for the two most recent weeks, which are "live plus same day."

Week 13 Averages

Adult 18-49 Rating, "live plus same day," Dec. 18-24

NBC...1.5

CBS...0.8

Fox...0.8

ABC...0.7

CW...0.2

Total Viewers

NBC...6.9 million

CBS...5.6 million

ABC...3.3 million

Fox...2.9 million

CW...0.9 million

Season-to-Date Averages

Adult 18-49 Rating, "Most Current"

NBC...2.4

Fox...1.8

CBS...1.7

ABC...1.5

CW...0.6

Total Viewers

CBS...9.6 million

NBC...9.1 million

ABC...6.2 million

Fox...5.9 million

CW...1.9 million

NBC highlights for the week of Dec. 18-24:

Monday

NBC ranked #1 Monday night among the Big 4 networks in 18-49, total viewers and every other key measure. Note: The ABC station in Atlanta carried NFL football.

"The Voice" (2.0/7 in 18-49, 11.0 million viewers overall from 8-10:01 p.m. ET) delivered the show's best Monday in 18-49 since Nov. 13 (2.0) and equaled its top Monday since Oct 23 (2.2), while delivering its most-watched Monday since the second week of the season (11.043 million on Oct. 2) with the show's fourth straight week of Monday viewership growth. "Voice" ranked as the #1 show of the night on the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49 and total viewers, while retaining 100% of the comparable episode of the prior cycle in 18-49 (2.0 vs. 2.0 on May 22) and growing more than +1.3 million persons or +14% in total viewers (11.0 million vs. 9.7 million).

"Live Plus Three Day" Ratings: "Voice" increased by +14% in 18-49 (from a 2.01 rating to a 2.30) and more than +1.1 million viewers overall (11.0 million to 12.1 million) going from "live plus same day" Nielsens to L+3.

"Live Plus Seven Day" Ratings: Monday's "The Voice" is growing by +26% in 18-49 rating going from L+SD to L+7 (from a 2.13 to a 2.68) and +2.0 million viewers overall (10.0 million to 12.0 million). When projected 35-day non-linear viewing is included, the "Voice" 18-49 rating increases to a 3.79.

A special preview of "Ellen's Game of Games" (1.7/6 in 18-49, 7.2 million viewers overall from 10:01-11 p.m. ET) scored NBC's top 18-49 rating in this timeslot, excluding sports, in more than a year (since Nov. 7, 2016, 2.1 with "SNL Election Special") and ranked as NBC's most-watched show in the time period in nearly 10 months (7.452 million on Feb. 27). "Game" grew +55% versus NBC's season average in the timeslot in 18-49 (1.7 vs 1.1, L+SD) and +2.0 million persons or +39% in total viewers (7.2 million vs. 5.2 million) and was the #2 show of the night on the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49 and total viewers, behind only "The Voice."

"Game" beat the ABC and CBS competition combined in adult 18-49 rating (1.7 vs. a combined 1.5). L+3: "Ellen's Game of Games" grew by +16% in 18-49 (1.66 to 1.93) and +1.1 million viewers overall (7.2 million to 8.3 million) going from L+SD to L+3.

Tuesday

NBC wins Tuesday night in all key atings categories.

An encore recap telecast of "The Voice" (1.4/6 in 18-49, 7.9 million viewers overall from 8-9 p.m. ET) won the time period among the Big 4 networks in all key ratings categories.

The finale of "The Voice 13" (2.0/8 in 18-49, 10.9 million viewers overall from 9-11 p.m. ET) grew +5% versus the prior cycle's finale in 18-49 (2.0 vs. 1.9 on May 23) and +1.6 million persons or +17% in total viewers (10.9 million vs. 9.3 million), while jumping +18% versus the prior Tuesday in 18-49 (2.0 vs. 1.7 from 8-9 p.m.) and +1.1 million persons or +12% in total viewers (10.9 million vs. 9.8 million).

In total viewers, the "Voice" finale delivered NBC's biggest in-season audience in the timeslot in the past year (best since Dec. 13, 2016, 12.1 for the "Voice 11" finale) and in 18-49 it equaled NBC's top rating in the slot since Oct. 3 (2.1). The finale also equaled the "Voice's" highest Tuesday rating since Oct. 17 in 18-49 (2.2) and scored its top Tuesday total-viewer result since Oct. 10 (11.1 million). "The Voice" won the timeslot and was the #1 show of the night in every key measure. L+3: "Voice" grew by +13% in 18-49 (2.04 to 2.31) and more than +1.2 million viewers overall (10.9 million to 12.1 million) going from L+SD to L+3 Nielsens. L+7: Tuesday's "Voice" has increased by +24% in 18-49 rating going from L+SD to L+7 (from a 2.07 to a 2.57) and +1.8 million viewers overall (10.2 million to 12.0 million). With the addition of projected 35-day non-linear ratings, the Tuesday "Voice" 18-49 figure grows to a 3.75.

Wednesday

An encore telecast of "Will & Grace" (0.6/3 in 18-49, 3.6 million viewers overall from 8-8:30 p.m. ET) ranked #2 in the half-hour among ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX in total viewers.

The 2012 feature film "Pitch Perfect" (1.0/4 in 18-49, 3.5 million viewers overall from 8:30-11 p.m. ET) ranked #2 in the two-and-a-half-hour time period among the Big 4 networks in 18-49 and total viewers, behind only CBS' "Survivor" finale. "Pitch Perfect" was up substantially versus the prior network broadcast of the film opposite the 2016 SUPER BOWL (1.0 vs. 0.6 from 8:30-11 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016) and total viewers (3.5 million vs. 1.8 million).

Thursday

"Great News" averaged a 0.6/2 in 18-49 and 2.7 million viewers overall from 8-8:30 p.m. ET and a 0.4/2 in 18-49 and 1.8 million viewers from 8:30-9 p.m. L+3: "Great News" increased by +11% in 18-49 (0.55 to 0.61) and +212,000 viewers overall (2.7 million to 2.9 million) at 8 p.m. going from L+SD to L+3 ratings, and by +17% in 18-49 (0.42 to 0.49) and +221,000 viewers (1.8 million to 2.1 million) at 8:30.. L+7: "Great News" has increased by +21% in 18-49 rating going from L+SD to L+7 (0.97 to a 1.17) and +614,000 viewers overall (3.9 million to 4.5 million). When projected 35-day non-linear viewing is included, the "Great News" 18-49 rating grows to a 1.47. Upscale: "Great News" is generating a strong upscale audience, indexing at a 129 among adults 18-49 living in homes with $100K+ incomes (with 100 representing an average concentration of those homes).

An encore telecast of "A SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE Christmas Special" (1.2/5 in 18-49, 3.9 million viewers overall from 9-11 p.m. ET) topped CBS' originals for the timeslot win in adults 18-49. The rebroadcast special beat NBC's non-sports average in the timeslot from last season in adults 18-49 by +10% (1.1 vs. 1.0).

Friday

NBC won the night in adults 18-49.

"Blindspot" (0.6/3 in 18-49, 3.5 million viewers overall from 8-9 p.m. ET) delivered its most watched episode since Nov. 3 (3.501 million viewers), growing +5% week to week (3.5 million vs. 3.3 million). L+3: "Blindspot" grew by +49% in 18-49 (0.65 to 0.97) and +1.3 million viewers overall (3.5 million to 4.8 million) going from L+SD to L+3 Nielsens, for the biggest total-viewer lift of the night.L+7: "Blindspot" is increasing by +94% in 18-49 rating going from L+SD to L+7 (from a 0.67 to a 1.30) and +2.2 million viewers overall (3.5 million to 5.7 million).Upscale: "Blindspot" is generating a strong upscale audience, indexing at a 115 among adults 18-49 living in homes with $100K+ incomes (with 100 representing an average concentration of those homes).

An encore telecast "Dateline NBC" (0.8/4 in 18-49, 1.3 in adults 25-54, 5.0 million viewers overall from 9-11 p.m. ET) tied as the #1 show of the night in adults 18-49 and was #1 outright in adults 25-54. In 25-54, "Dateline" equaled its highest rating since Nov. 3 (1.5). L+7: Friday's "Dateline" is growing by +35% this season in 18-49 rating (from a 0.89 to a 1.20) and +1.2 million viewers overall (5.0 million to 6.2 million) going from L+SD to L+7. Upscale: Friday's "Dateline" is delivering a solid upscale audience, indexing at a 113 among adults 18-49 in $100K+ homes.

Saturday

NBC Sports coverage of the Minnesota Vikings-Green Bay Packers Saturday primetime NFL game (4.1/18 in 18-49, 15.3 million viewers overall from 8:32-11:15 p.m. ET) led NBC to the nightlong win among the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49, total viewers and all other key ratings measures. The Vikings-Packers game was up +18% versus the prior NFL regular-season Saturday primetime telecast in total viewers (15.3 million vs. 13.0 million for Chargers-49ers on CBS and the NFL Network on Dec. 20, 2014).

Sunday

A rebroadcast of "DreamWorks Trolls Holiday" averaged a 0.2/1 in 18-49 and 1.2 million viewers overall from 7-7:30 p.m. ET.

An encore telecast of "How Murray Saved Christmas" delivered a 0.3/1 in 18-49 and 1.2million viewers overall from 7:30-8 p.m. ET.

A Christmas Eve encore of "It's a Wonderful Life" (0.9/4 in 18-49, 4.7 million viewers overall from 8-11 p.m. ET) scored as NBC's most-watched movie in more than a year, since "Dolly Parton's Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love" (11.6 million viewers from 9-11 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016), growing +3% versus the year-ago Christmas Eve telecast in total viewers (4.7 million vs. 4.5 million on Saturday, Dec. 24, 2016, which was up +19% vs. the previous Christmas Eve) and finishing within 0.1 of a point of last year in 18-49 (0.9 vs. 1.0, which was a +25% jump vs. the prior year). It was the second year in a row the movie has grown versus the prior year's Christmas Eve telecast in total viewers. From its first half-hour to its sixth, the film increased by +71% in adults 18-49 (0.7 to 1.2) and +64% or more than +2.2 million persons in total viewers (3.4 million to 5.7 million). "Wonderful Life" won the time period among the Big 4 networks in total viewers. This was NBC's 43rd primetime telecast of "It's a Wonderful Life," directed by Frank Capra and starring Jimmy Stewart, since the movie was brought to broadcast network television in 1994.

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