NBC Wins the Primetime Ratings Week of August 20-26

NBC has won the primetime ratings week of Aug. 20-26, tying the highest adult 18-49 average for any network since ABC was boosted by the NBA FINALS 11 weeks ago and delivering the most-watched week for any net over that same 11-week span.

According to "live plus same day" figures from Nielsen Media Research, NBC won the week among the Big 4 networks in all key categories (including a tie in men 18-34) and even excluding all sports programming, NBC triumphed for the week in every key measure - adults, men and women 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54, plus total viewers.

NBC was led by top-10 results in 18-49 among primetime shows on the Big 4 networks from two editions of "America's Got Talent," Sunday's preseason football coverage and Wednesday's "World of Dance."

It's the 11th week in a row NBC has ranked #1 or tied for #1 in 18-49 and the network's eighth consecutive weeklong win in total viewers.

"America's Got Talent" claimed the top two spots for the week in total viewers, with Sunday's Cowboys-Cardinals NFL coverage ranking #4.

The Tuesday "Talent" earned a 2.1 rating in adults 18-49, matching the highest result across broadcast and cable television since the June 19 "Talent" reported a 2.2 nine weeks ago.

Tuesday's "Talent" remained #1 for the week in adults 18-49, while the Sunday preseason game tied for #2, Wednesday's "AGT' tied for #4, "World of Dance" ranked #9, Monday's "American Ninja Warrior" tied for #12 and Tuesday's "Making It" tied for #15.

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 4.9 million average for the past week is also the highest for any net since that June 4-10 week for ABC (6.3 million).

In adults 18-49, NBC is dominating the current primetime season, with a lead over #2 ABC of +0.4 of a rating point or +29% (1.8 vs. 1.4). The +29% advantage is the best for any #1 network at this point in the season in 16 years (since NBC led by +31% in 2001-02).

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 20,000 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 1.171 million total viewers of CBS excluding sports, best since the gap was 608,000 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 in adults 18-34, 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 48 Averages

Adult 18-49 Rating, "live plus same day," Aug. 20-26

NBC...1.0

Fox...0.8

CBS...0.7

ABC...0.7

CW...0.2

Total Viewers

NBC...4.9 million

CBS...4.0 million

ABC...3.6 million

Fox...2.6 million

CW...0.8 million

Season-to-Date Averages

Adult 18-49 Rating, "Most Current"

NBC...1.8

ABC...1.4

CBS...1.3

Fox...1.2

CW...0.5

Total Viewers

CBS...7.8 million

NBC...7.8 million

ABC...5.6 million

Fox...4.2 million

CW...1.6 million

NBC highlights for the week of Aug. 20-26:

Monday

NBC won Monday night among the Big 4 networks in total viewers for the third time in four weeks.

"American Ninja Warrior" (1.0/5 in 18-49, 5.0 million viewers overall from 8-10 p.m. ET) ranked as the #1 show of the night in total viewers for a second Monday in a row.

"Live Plus Three Day" Ratings: "Ninja" increased by +13% in 18-49 (from a 1.01 rating to a 1.14) and +485,000 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).

An encore telecast of "America's Got Talent" (0.6/4 in 18-49, 2.9 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 versus original competition from CBS' "Elementary" and ABC's "The Proposal."

Tuesday

NBC ranked #1 Tuesday night versus the Big 4 competition in adults 18-49, total viewers and every other key measure, winning six of six half-hours in adults 18-49.

"America's Got Talent" (2.1/10 in 18-49, 11.2 million viewers overall from 8-10:01 p.m. ET) equaled television's #1 adult 18-49 rating since the June 19 "Talent" of nine weeks earlier (2.2) and ranked as the #1 show of the night on the Big 4 networks in 18-49, total viewers and all other key measures. "Talent" beat the timeslot's combined Big 4 competition in total viewers (11.2 million vs. a combined 10.4 million). "Talent" retained +100% week to week in 18-49 rating (2.1 vs. 2.1.) and was up in total viewers for a second week in a row (11.2 million vs. 11.1 million on Aug. 14 and 11.0 million on Aug. 7). L+3: "Talent" increased by +22% in 18-49 (2.11 to 2.57) and +1.9 million viewers overall (11.2 million to 13.1 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 4.36. 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, 3.7 million viewers overall from 10:01-11 p.m. ET) maintained a timeslot-winning 0.9 rating for a third straight week and won the timeslot among ABC, CBS and NBC in every key demographic. "Making It" dominated the ABC-CBS-NBC competition in the timeslot, topping ABC's rival original series "Castaways," by an +80% margin in 18-49 (0.9 vs. 0.5). This is the #1 most-watched Week 4 episode of any new summer series so far this year on the Big 4 networks (beating the previous Week 4 high of "The Proposal" on July 9, 3.5 million), and is tied for the #1 in 18-49 (with Week 4 of "Gordon Ramsay's 24 Hours to Hell & Back" on July 11, 0.9). L+3: "Making It" grew by +25% in 18-49 (0.91 to 1.14) and +676,000 viewers overall (3.7 million vs. 4.4 million) going from L+SD to L+3. Upscale: "Making It" generates a solid upscale audience, indexing at a 109 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 114.

Wednesday

NBC won Wednesday night by a +30% margin in 18-49 (1.3 vs. 1.0 for #2 Fox) and by +2.8 million persons or +74% in total viewers (6.6 million vs. 3.8 million for #2 CBS).

"America's Got Talent" (1.6/8 in 18-49, 9.7 million viewers overall from 8-9 p.m. ET) scored NBC's strongest 18-49 rating in the timeslot, excluding Olympics, since Nov. 29, 2017 (1.7 with "Christmas in Rockefeller Center") to tie for the timeslot win in 18-49 (1.6 vs. 1.6 for "Big Brother") and win the hour in total viewers by a margin of +70% or +4.0 million persons over "Big Brother" (9.7 million vs. 5.7 million). "Talent" increased by +7% week to week in 18-49 (1.6 vs. 1.5) and retained 98% versus the prior week in total viewers (9.6785 million vs. 9.9 million). L+3: The Wednesday "Talent" grew by +24% in 18-49 (1.58 to 1.96) and +1.6 million viewers overall (9.7 million to 11.3 million) going from L+SD to L+3 Nielsens, for the night's biggest L+3 lift in total viewers.

"World of Dance" (1.2/6 in 18-49, 5.1 million viewers overall from 9-11 p.m. ET) scored the show's highest 18-49 rating so far this summer among five Wednesday telecasts and equaled NBC's highest 18-49 rating in the timeslot since April 18 (1.3). The 1.2 is "World's" highest 18-49 rating since Monday, July 24 (1.2). Week to week, "World" was up +9% in 18-49 (1.2 vs. 1.1) and retained 99% in total viewers (5.053 million vs. 5.124 million). L+3: "World" increased by +33% going from L+SD to L+3 in 18-49 (1.19 to 1.58) and more than +1.2 million viewers overall (5.1 million vs. 6.3 million).

Thursday

An encore telecast of "Ellen's Game of Games" (0.7/3 in 18-49, 3.4 million viewers overall from 8-9 p.m. ET) maintained 100% of the prior week's encore in this timeslot in 18-49 (0.7 vs. 0.7) and 99% in total viewers (3.359 million vs. 3.403 million).

"Trial & Error: Lady, Killer" (0.4/2 in 18-49, 2.0 million viewers overall from 9-9:30 p.m. ET; 0.4/2 in 18-49, 1.6 million viewers overall from 9:30-10 p.m. ET) maintained 100% from its first episode to its second in 18-49 and built on that lead-in among men 18-34. With its 9:30 season finale, "Trial" maintained 100% week to week in 18-49 (0.4 vs. 0.4). L+3: The 9 p.m. "Trial & Error" grew by +33% in 18-49 going from L+SD to L+3 (0.43 to 0.57) and +408,000 viewers overall (2.0 million to 2.4 million). The 9:30 "Trial" increased by +42% in 18-49 (0.36 to 0.51) and +420,000 viewers overall (1.6 million to 2.0 million) going from L+SD to L+3 The increases of +33% and +42% are the two biggest L+3 lifts of the night on the Big 4 networks. Upscale: "Trial & Error" is generating a strong upscale audience, with the 9 p.m. edition indexing at a 109 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 133.

An encore telecast of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (0.4/2 in 18-49, 2.2 million viewers overall from 10-11 p.m. ET)grew from its first half-hour to its second in adults 18-49, adults, men and women 25-54 and total viewers, despite the 10 p.m. hour.

Friday

An encore telecast of "American Ninja Warrior" (0.5/2 in 18-49, 2.3 million viewers overall from 8-10 p.m. ET) was up +25% versus the previous week's rebroadcast in this time period in 18-49 (0.5 vs. 0.4) and +7% in total viewers (2.3 million vs. 2.2 million).

A rebroadcast of "Dateline NBC" (0.5/3 in 18-49, 0.8 in adults 25-54, 3.1 million viewers overall from 10-11 p.m. ET) was the #1 non-sports show of the night in total viewers, as well as the #1 newsmagazine of the night in total viewers and adults 25-54 versus an original "20/20." Upscale: Friday's "Dateline" is delivering a solid upscale audience, indexing at a 114 among adults 18-49 in $100K+ homes.

Sunday

An encore "Dateline NBC" (0.8/4 in 18-49, 1.3 in 25-54, 5.1 million viewers overall from 7-8 p.m. ET) tied for the 7-8 p.m. win in adults 18-49 and took the timeslot outright in adults 25-54, topping CBS' "60 Minutes" rebroadcast in both demos. "Dateline" equaled its Sunday season high in 18-49 and set a new season high for a Sunday telecast in 25-54. It's the most-watched Sunday "Dateline" since May 8, 2016 (5.138 million). Upscale: Sunday's "Dateline" is indexing at a 123 among adults 18-49 living in homes with $100K+ incomes (with 100 representing an average concentration of those homes).

NBC Sports coverage of an NFL preseason game featuring the Dallas Cowboys at the Arizona Cardinals (1.8/8 in 18-49, 7.2 million viewers overall from 8-10 p.m. ET) is the most-watched NFL preseason telecast since the Aug. 3, 2017 Hall of Fame Game on NBC (8.2 million). This week's Cowboys-Cardinals coverage led NBC to a nightlong win in every key ratings measure.

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