NBC Wins The Week Of August 6-12 In Total Viewers & Ties For #1 In 18-49

NBC has won the primetime ratings week of Aug. 6-12 in total viewers and tied for #1 in the 18-49 demo among the Big 4 broadcast networks.

The win in total viewers marks the sixth week in a row NBC has come out on top. The network has now also won or tied in the 18-49 demo for nine consecutive weeks.

According to "live plus same day" figures from Nielsen Media Research, NBC won or tied for #1 for the week in many key measures, led by top-10 results in 18-49 among primetime shows on the Big 4 networks from "America's Got Talent," "World of Dance" and "American Ninja Warrior."

The broad-based hit "America's Got Talent" ranked #1 for the week in total viewers over all primetime programs on broadcast and cable by a margin of +2.8 million viewers (11.0 million vs. 8.2 million for CBS' #2 encore of "60 Minutes"). "Talent" also ranked #1 for the week on the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49, adults 25-54, adults 50-and-older, teens 12-17 and kids 2-11.

In adults 18-49, NBC is dominating the current primetime season, with leads over #2 ABC by +0.5 of a rating point or +36% (1.9 vs. 1.4). The +36% advantage stands as the best first place lead for any network at this point in the season since FOX in 2007-08.

Season to date, NBC also ranks #1 among ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX in every other key demographic - adults, men and women 18-34; men and women 18-49; and adults, men and women 25-54. In total viewers, NBC is running within 66,000 persons of #1, NBC's most competitive position at this point in the season in 16 years, since 2001-02. Even excluding all sports, NBC is running closer to CBS at this point in the season in total viewers than it's been in 15 years (currently within 1.243 million total viewers of CBS excluding sports, best since the gap was 579,000 in 2002-03).

Counting entertainment programming only, NBC ranks #1 for the season in adults 18-49 and adults 25-54 and is #1 or tied for #1 men 18-49, women 18-49 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 46 Averages

Adult 18-49 Rating, "live plus same day," Aug. 6-12

NBC...0.8

ABC...0.8

CBS...0.6

Fox...0.5

CW...0.2

Total Viewers

NBC...4.1 million
ABC...3.9 million

CBS...3.8 million

Fox...1.7 million

CW...0.8 million

Season-to-Date Averages

Adult 18-49 Rating, "Most Current"

NBC...1.9

ABC...1.4

CBS...1.3

Fox...1.3

CW...0.5

Total Viewers

CBS...8.0 million

NBC...7.9 million

ABC...5.7 million

Fox...4.3 million

CW...1.6 million

NBC highlights for the week of Aug. 6-12:

Monday

"American Ninja Warrior" (1.0/5 in 18-49, 5.0 million viewers overall from 8-10 p.m. ET) ranked as the #2 show of the night in adults 18-49 and total viewers.

"Live Plus Three Day" Ratings: "Ninja" increased by +14% in 18-49 (from a 1.04 rating to a 1.19) and +513,000 viewers overall (5.0 million to 5.5 million) going from "live plus same day" Nielsens to L+3.

Upscale: "Ninja" is delivering a solid upscale audience, generating a 119 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).

"Dateline NBC" (0.7/3 in 18-49, 1.1 in 25-54, 4.0 million viewers overall from 10-11 p.m. ET) outrated CBS' original drama "Elementary" in the timeslot in adults 18-49, adults 25-54, total viewers and every other key measure. "Dateline" ranked as the #3 show of the night on the Big 4 in adults 18-49 and adults 25-54, behind only the "Bachelorette" finale and "American Ninja Warrior." L+3: "Dateline" increased by +16% in 18-49 going from L+SD to L+3 (0.73 to 0.85) and +639,000 viewers overall (4.0 million to 4.7 million). Upscale: Monday's "Dateline" generates a solid upscale audience, indexing at a 105 among adult 18-49 living in homes with $100K+ incomes (with 100 representing an average concentration of those homes).

Tuesday

NBC ranked #1 Tuesday night in adults 18-49, total viewers and every other key measure.

"America's Got Talent" (1.9/9 in 18-49, 11.0 million viewers overall from 8-10:01 p.m. ET) ranked #1 in the timeslot in every key measure (including a tie in women 18-34), including a timeslot win over ABC's premiere of "Bachelor in Paradise" by a +73% margin in 18-49 rating (1.9 vs. 1.1) and by +7.2 million persons in total viewers (11.0 million vs. 3.8 million). "Talent" was the #1 show of the night in 18-49, total viewers and virtually all other key measures. L+3: "Talent" increased by +27% in 18-49 (1.95 to 2.48) and more than +2.1 million viewers overall (11.0 million to 13.2 million) going from L+SD to L+3, for the biggest L+3 lifts of the night in 18-49 rating and total viewers. L+7: "America's Got Talent" has increased by +39% in 18-49 rating going from L+SD to L+7 (from a 2.17 to a 3.01) and +3.1 million viewers overall (11.6 million to 14.7 million). With the addition of 35-day linear and projected non-linear ratings, "Talent's" 18-49 figure grows to a 4.35. Upscale: "Talent" is generating a strong upscale audience, indexing at a 111 among adults 18-49 living in homes with $100K+ incomes.

"Making It" (0.9/4 in 18-49, 4.1 million viewers overall from 10:01-11 p.m. ET) won the timeslot among ABC, CBS and NBC in adults 18-49 and every other key demographic, with a margin over ABC's premiere of "Castaways" of +29% in 18-49 (0.9 vs. 0.7) and +1.0 million persons or +33% in total viewers (4.1 million vs. 3.1 million). This is the #1 most-watched Week 2 episode of any new summer series so far this year on the Big 4 networks (topping the previous Week 2 high of "The Proposal" on June 25, 3.6 million). L+3: "Making It" grew by +23% in 18-49 (0.95 to 1.17) and +713,000 viewers overall (4.1 million vs. 4.9 million) going from L+SD to L+3. Upscale: "Making It" generates a solid upscale audience, indexing at a 105 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 117.

Wednesday

"World of Dance" (1.1/5 in 18-49, 4.8 million viewers overall from 8-10 p.m. ET) won its two-hour 8-10 p.m. timeslot in adults 18-49, while maintaining 100% week to week in 18-49 (1.1 vs. 1.1) to match NBC's highest 18-49 rating in the timeslot excluding "Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular" since June 6 (1.2). "World of Dance" was the #2 show of the night in 18-49 and total viewers behind only CBS' "Big Brother." L+3: "World" increased by +27% going from L+SD to L+3 in 18-49 (1.14 to 1.45) and more than +1.0 million viewers overall (4.8 million vs. 5.8 million).

The season finale of "Reverie" (0.4/2 in 18-49, 1.9 million viewers overall from 10-11 p.m. ET) retained 100% week to week in 18-49 (0.4 vs. 0.4) and maintained a steady 0.4 in 18-49 through its last seven telecasts in a row. L+3: "Reverie" grew by +26% in 18-49 (0.42 to 0.53) and +637,000 viewers overall (1.9 million to 2.6 million) going from L+SD to L+3 Nielsens. Upscale: "Reverie" is delivering a solid upscale audience, indexing at a 105 among adults 18-49 living in homes with $100K+ incomes.

Thursday

A special Thursday recap encore of "America's Got Talent" (0.7/5 in 18-49, 3.8 million viewers overall from 8-9 p.m. ET) tied for #1 in the 8-9 p.m. hour in adults 18-49 and ranked #2 in total viewers. The "Talent" encore tied as the #2 show of the night on the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49.

"Trial & Error: Lady, Killer" (0.4/2 in 18-49, 1.9 million viewers overall from 9-9:30 p.m. ET; 0.3/1 in 18-49, 1.4 million viewers overall from 9:30-10 p.m. ET) maintained 100% of its prior 9 p.m. telecast in 18-49 (0.4 vs. 0.4 on July 26) and 90% in total viewers (1.911 million vs. 2.119 million), despite the previous week's preemption and several local-market preemptions this week. Upscale: "Trial & Error" is generating a strong upscale audience, with the 9 p.m. edition indexing at a 113 among adults 18-49 living in homes with $100K+ incomes. Among adults 18-49 with four or more years of college, the 9 p.m. "Trial & Error" is indexing at a 127.

An encore telecast of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (0.5/2 in 18-49, 2.4 million viewers overall from 10-11 p.m. ET) maintained 100% of "SVU's" previous encore in this timeslot in 18-49 (0.5 vs. 0.5 on July 26) and grew in total viewers (2.388 million vs. 2.380 million).

Friday

NBC tied for #1 for the night among the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49. It's the eighth Friday in a row NBC has ranked #1 or tied for #1 among those nets in 18-49.

An encore telecast of "American Ninja Warrior" (0.6/3 in 18-49, 2.6 million viewers overall from 8-10 p.m. ET) tied as the #1 telecast of the night on the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49. "Ninja" equaled the show's highest rating among 11 rebroadcasts in this timeslot so far this summer.

"Dateline NBC" (0.5/3 in 18-49, 0.7 in adults 25-54, 2.7 million viewers overall from 10-11 p.m. ET) tied for #1 in the timeslot among ABC, CBS and NBC in adults 18-34 and men 18-49 and was #1 outright among those nets in men 25-54. L+3: The prior original Friday "Dateline" increased by +28% in 18-49 (0.58 to 0.74) and +743,000 viewers overall (3.0 million to 3.8 million) going from L+SD to L+3 Nielsens. Upscale: Friday's "Dateline" is delivering a solid upscale audience, indexing at a 114 among adults 18-49 in $100K+ homes.

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