NBC Wins The August 27 - September 2 Week With Top Three Most-Watched Shows
By: Tori Hartshorn Sep. 05, 2018
NBC has claimed the primetime ratings week of Aug. 27-Sept. 2, led by the three most-watched primetime programs of the week - two editions of "America's Got Talent" and Saturday's Michigan-Notre Dame Telecast - joined by three more top-10 rankings for "American Ninja Warrior," "World of Dance" and "Dateline NBC."
For the week, NBC tied the highest adult 18-49 average for any network since ABC was boosted by the NBA FINALS 12 weeks ago and delivered the most-watched week for any net over that same 12-week span.
According to "live plus same day" figures from Nielsen Media Research, NBC won the week among the Big 4 networks in total viewers, adults, men and women 18-49 and adults, men and women 25-54. Even excluding sports, NBC won the week in every key measure (including a tie in women 18-34).
It's the 12th week in a row NBC has ranked #1 or tied for #1 in 18-49 and the network's ninth consecutive weeklong win in total viewers.
Tuesday and Wednesday editions of "America's Got Talent" claimed the top two spots among primetime telecasts for the week in total viewers, Saturday's NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL finished #3, "Ninja" ranked #5, "World" finished #9 and Sunday's "Dateline" encore ranked #10.
In 18-49, NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL ranked #1 for the week, Tuesday's "AGT" finished #3 and Wednesday's was #5, while "Ninja" and "World" tied for #10.
NBC's 1.0 rating for the week in 18-49 matches the network's July 30-Aug. 5 average as the highest for any network since ABC, boosted by the NBA Finals, averaged a 1.8 for the week of June 4-10. NBC's 5.1 million average for the past week is also the highest for any net since that June 4-10 week for ABC (6.3 million).
Season to date, NBC ranks #1 among ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX in every key ratings measure - adults, men and women 18-34; adults, men and women 18-49; and adults, men and women 25-54, as well as total viewers. It's the first time NBC has led in total viewers at this point in the season in 16 years, since 2001-02.
Counting entertainment programming only, NBC ranks #1 for the season in adults, men and women 18-49 and adults 25-54 and is #1 or tied for #1 in adults 18-34, women 18-34, men 25-54 and women 25-54.
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 49 Averages (Some results are subject to adjustment by Nielsen)
Adult 18-49 Rating, "live plus same day," Aug. 27-Sept. 2
NBC...1.0
ABC...0.9
CBS...0.5
Fox...0.5
CW...0.2
Total Viewers
NBC...5.1 million
ABC...3.7 million
CBS...3.5 million
Fox...1.7 million
CW...0.8 million
Season-to-Date Averages
Adult 18-49 Rating, "Most Current"
NBC...1.8
ABC...1.3
CBS...1.3
Fox...1.2
CW...0.5
Total Viewers
NBC...7.8 million
CBS...7.7 million
ABC...5.6 million
Fox...4.2 million
CW...1.5 million
NBC highlights for the week of Aug. 27-Sept. 2:
Monday
NBC tied for the nightlong victory in adults 18-49 and won Monday night among the Big 4 networks for the fourth time in five weeks.
"American Ninja Warrior" (1.1/5 in 18-49, 5.9 million viewers overall from 8-10 p.m. ET) set a new season high in total viewers and equaled the show's best 18-49 rating since Wednesday, June 6 (1.2 from 8-10 p.m.). For a third week in a row,"Ninja" ranked as Monday's #1 show of the night on the Big 4 networks in total viewers. This week's telecast grew +10% week to week in 18-49 (1.1 vs. 1.0) and +17% in total viewers (5.9 million vs. 5.0 million).
"Live Plus Three Day" Ratings: "Ninja" increased by +16% in 18-49 (from a 1.14 rating to a 1.32) and +561,000 viewers overall (5.9 million to 6.4 million) going from "live plus same day" Nielsens to L+3.
Upscale: "Ninja" is delivering a solid upscale audience, generating a 120 index among adults 18-49 living in homes with $100K+ incomes (with 100 representing an average concentration of those homes, according to "most current" Nielsens, including L+3).
An encore telecast of "America's Got Talent" (0.6/3 in 18-49, 3.1 million viewers overall from 10-11 p.m. ET) won the timeslot among ABC, CBS and NBC in adults 18-49 and adults, men and w omen 25-54 versus original competition from CBS' "Elementary" and ABC's "The Proposal." Versus the prior week's encore in this timeslot, the "AGT" encore was up +9% in total viewers (3.1 million vs. 2.9 million).
Tuesday
NBC ranked #1 Tuesday night in adults 18-49, total viewers and every other key measure (including a tie in women 18-34), and has now won 14 of the last 15 Tuesday nights among the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49 and 15 Tuesdays in a row in total viewers.
"America's Got Talent" (1.9/9 in 18-49, 10.8 million viewers overall from 8-10:01 p.m. ET) ranked as the #1 show of the night in 18-49, total viewers and most other key measures, winning its timeslot, over ABC's "Bachelor in Paradise" by a +73% margin in 18-49 (1.9 vs. 1.1). L+3: "Talent" increased by +27% in 18-49 (1.86 to 2.36) and more than +2.0 million viewers overall (10.8 million to 12.8 million) going from L+SD to L+3, for the biggest L+3 lifts of the night in 18-49 rating and total viewers. Upscale: "Talent" is generating a strong upscale audience, indexing at a 111 among adults 18-49 living in homes with $100K+ incomes.
"Making It" (0.8/4 in 18-49, 3.7 million viewers overall from 10:01-11 p.m. ET) won the timeslot by a +60% margin versus the ABC-CBS competition in 18-49 (0.8 vs. 0.5 each for ABC and CBS) and took the time period among ABC, CBS and NBC in every key demographic. This was the #1 most-watched Week 5 episode of any new summer series so far this year on the Big 4 networks (beating the previous Week 5 high of "The Proposal" on July 16, 3.300 million). L+3: "Making It" grew by +25% in 18-49 (0.79 to 0.99) and +631,000 viewers overall (3.7 million vs. 4.3 million) going from L+SD to L+3. Upscale: "Making It" generates a solid upscale audience, indexing at a 107 among adult 18-49 living in homes with $100K+ incomes. Among adults 18-49 with four or more years of college, "Making It" is indexing at a 113.
Wednesday
NBC won Wednesday night in every key ratings measure, prevailing by a +30% margin in 18-49 (1.3 vs. 1.0 for #2 Fox) and by +2.9 million persons or +76% in total viewers (6.7 million vs. 3.8 million for #2 CBS). It's the third consecutive Wednesday NBC has won in both 18-49 and total viewers.
"America's Got Talent" (1.5/8 in 18-49, 9.9 million viewers overall from 8-9 p.m. ET) ranked as the #1 show of the night in total viewers by a margin of +4.1 million viewers or +72% (9.9 million vs. 5.8 million for #2 "Big Brother"), delivering the show's most-watched Wednesday episode of the summer to date among three regular telecasts and two recaps episodes. "Talent" jumped +67% above NBC's summer-to-date average in the timeslot prior to "Talent" (1.5 vs. 0.9, L+SD) and +6.3 million persons or +176% in total viewers (9.903 million vs. 3.594 million). L+3: The Wednesday "Talent" grew by +16% in 18-49 (1.54 to 1.78) and +1.3 million viewers overall (9.9 million to 11.2 million) going from L+SD to L+3 Nielsens, for the night's biggest L+3 lift in total viewers.
"World of Dance" (1.1/5 in 18-49, 5.1 million viewers overall from 9-11 p.m. ET) won its two-hour 9-11 p.m. timeslot in adults 18-49, total viewers and all other key measures, while growing week to week in total viewers (5.063 million vs. 5.053 million). L+3: "World" increased by +31% going from L+SD to L+3 in 18-49 (1.13 to 1.48) and +1.2 million viewers overall (5.1 million vs. 6.3 million.
Thursday
An encore telecast of "Ellen's Game of Games" (0.5/3 in 18-49, 2.9 million viewers overall from 8-9 p.m. ET) tied for #1 in the 8-9 p.m. hour among the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49 and tied as the #2 show of the night on the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49 behind only "Big Brother."
A rebroadcast of "Will & Grace" (0.5/2 in 18-49, 2.1 million viewers overall from 9-9:30 p.m. ET) retained 100% of its lead-in in 18-49 and tied as the #2 show of the night on the Big 4 in 18-49.
An encore telecast of "Superstore" (0.4/2 in 18-49, 1.6 million viewers overall from 9:30-10 p.m. ET) finished #2 in the timeslot among the Big 4 in adults 18-49 behind only "Big Brother."
A rebroadcast of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (0.5/2 in 18-49, 2.3 million viewers overall from 10-11 p.m. ET) won the timeslot among ABC, CBS and NBC in adults 18-49 and adults 25-54, increasing by +0.1 of a point or +25% versus the prior week's encore in this timeslot in 18-49 (0.5 vs. 0.4). The "SVU" encore tied as the #2 show of the night on the Big 4 in 18-49 behind only "Big Brother."
Friday
NBC tied for #1 for the night among the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49, marking the 10th time in 11 weeks NBC has ranked #1 or tied for #1 on a Friday night among the Big 4.
An encore telecast of "American Ninja Warrior" (0.4/2 in 18-49, 2.3 million viewers overall from 8-10 p.m. ET) tied for #1 in the timeslot among the Big 4 networks in 18-49 and was #1 outright in total viewers.
"Dateline NBC" (0.5/3 in 18-49, 0.8 in adults 25-54, 3.0 million viewers overall from 10-11 p.m. ET) tied as the #1 show of the night in adults 18-49 and adults 25-54. "Dateline" maintained 100% of the show's prior Friday original in 18-49 (0.5 vs. 0.5 on Aug. 10) and 25-54 (0.7 vs. 0.7) and up +6% in total viewers (2.912 million vs. 2.750 million). L+3: "Dateline" increased by +18% in 18-49 (0.50 to 0.59) and +504,000 viewers overall (2.9 million to 3.4 million) going from L+SD to L+3 Nielsens, for the biggest L+3 lifts of the night on the Big 4 in 18-49 rating and percentage, as well as total viewers. Upscale: Friday's "Dateline" is delivering a solid upscale audience, indexing at a 114 among adults 18-49 in $100K+ homes.
Saturday
NBC Sports coverage of Notre Dame football, featuring Michigan at Notre Dame (2.1/12 in 18-49, 7.1 million viewers overall from 7:30-11:12 p.m. ET) generated a total audience deliver (TAD) of 7.179 million, MAKING IT NBC's most-watched primetime Notre Dame game on record and the most-watched in any daypart since the USC-Notre Dame telecast on Oct. 15, 2005 (10.1 million). NBC won Saturday night in every key ratings measure.
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