NBC has dominated the primetime ratings week of Sept. 1-7, led by big Thursday and Sunday NFL season-opening telecasts of "Sunday Night Football," which propelled NBC to the highest adult 18-49 weekly average for any network since the Sochi Olympics and biggest week in total viewers since the Academy Awards. Also ranking in the week's top 10 were NBC's "America's Got Talent" and "American Ninja Warrior." According to "live plus same day" viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research, NBC finished the week with an average 3.6 rating, 12 share in adults 18-49 and 11.1 million viewers overall.
For the week,
NBC also ranked #1 among ABC, CBS,
NBC and
FOX in total viewers, adults 25-54, adults 18-34 and all other key ratings categories. The special Thursday "NFL Kickoff" coverage and the Sunday debut of "Sunday Night Football" delivered the #1 and #2 primetime ratings of the week on those nets in every key category - adults, men and women 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54, plus total viewers.
Versus the same week a year ago,
NBC was up +3% in adults 18-49 (to a 3.6 rating from a 3.5) and up +10% in total viewers (11.1 million vs. 10.0 million).
NBC's 3.6 rating for the week is the highest for any network since
NBC earned a 4.2 for the week of Feb. 17-23 during the Sochi Olympics. NBC's 11.1 million viewers overall for the week is the highest for any network since
ABC averaged 11.6 million during the week of the Academy Awards, Feb. 24-March 2.
Excluding Olympic weeks, the 3.6 is NBC's highest weeklong rating in two years (since the week of Sept. 3-9, 2012, 3.7). In total viewers, excluding Olympic and
SUPER BOWL weeks, it's NBC's most-watched week in three years (since Sept. 5-11, 2011, 11.121 million viewers)
NBC won the week by a +100% margin over #2
FOX in 18-49 (with a 3.6 rating vs. a 1.8), NBC's biggest margin excluding Olympic and
SUPER BOWL weeks in three years (since the week of Sept. 5-11, 2011, +138%). In total viewers, the network's margin of +87% (11.1 million vs. 5.9 million for CBS) is NBC's biggest advantage excluding Olympic and
SUPER BOWL weeks in four years (since Sept. 6-12, 2010, +88%).
NBC's win marks the 12thtime this summer the network has finished #1 or tied for #1 among ABC, CBS,
NBC and
FOX in 18-49 rating, making
NBC the only Big 4 network to have won more than three weeks since the close of the traditional season in May (L+SD).
Top-rated
NBC primetime shows for the week of Sept. 1-7 in adults 18-49 include the Thursday and Sunday editions of "Sunday Night Football" (#1 and #2 respectively), the Wednesday telecast of "America's Got Talent" (tied for #7), Monday's "American Ninja Warrior" (tied for #9), Tuesday's "America's Got Talent" (tied for #11), Saturday's Michigan-Notre Dame
COLLEGE FOOTBALL (#13), Wednesday's "Talent" encore (tied for #23) and Tuesday's "Food Fighters" (tied for #23). Rankings exclude all sports pre- and post-game shows.
Through 50 weeks of the 2013-14 broadcast year,
NBC ranks #1 among ABC, CBS,
NBC and
FOX in adults 18-49, adults 25-54, adults 18-34 (tied with Fox), men 18-49 (tied with Fox), men 25-54 and all key adult-female demos. It's the first time
NBC has ranked #1 in adults 18-49 at this point in the season in 10 years (since the 2003-04 season).
Versus one year ago,
NBC is up +14% for the broadcast year to date in adults 18-49 (2.4 vs. 2.1).
In total viewers,
NBC ranks #2 for the broadcast year with an average of 8.3 million viewers, which is its biggest overall audience 50 weeks into the season in six years (since 2007-08, 8.5 million). Versus one year ago,
NBC is up +25% season to date in total viewers (8.3 million vs. 6.6 million).
Primetime averages for the week of Sept. 1-7 in adults 18-49 are: NBC, 3.6/12; Fox, 1.8/6; CBS, 1.1/4; ABC, 1.0/3; and CW, 0.3/1. In overall total viewers, the weekly averages were: NBC, 11.1 million; CBS, 5.9 million; Fox, 5.0 million; ABC, 3.7 million; and CW, 1.0 million.
Season-to-date averages are: NBC, 2.4/7; Fox, 2.1/7; CBS, 2.0/6; ABC, 1.9/6; and CW, 0.6/2. In overall total viewers, the season averages are: CBS, 9.3 million; NBC, 8.3 million; ABC, 6.9 million; Fox, 6.2 million; and CW, 1.6 million.
NBC highlights for the week of Sept. 1-7:
Monday:
NBC tied for #1 for the night in 18-49, as "American Ninja Warrior" (1.9/6 in 18-49, 5.8 million viewers overall from 9-11 p.m. ET) tied for the #1 show of the night on the Big 4 in 18-49 with Fox's "MasterChef" (1.9 from 8-9 p.m.). "Ninja" grew versus its prior telecast of two weeks earlier by +6% in adults 18-49 (to a 1.9 rating from a 1.8), to hit its top 18-49 score since Aug. 4 (2.0) In total viewers, it was the show's biggest overall audience in more than two years, since the show's fourth telecast on
NBC on June 4, 2012 (6.8 million). "Ninja" won its time-period among the Big 4 in every key measure.
"Running Wild with Bear Grylls" (0.9/3 in 18-49, 3.8 million viewers overall from 8-9 p.m. ET) grew versus its prior telecast in total viewers (3.845 million vs. 3.797 million on Aug. 18), despite last week's preemption and this week's Labor Day holiday.
Tuesday:
NBC finished #1 for the night in adults 18-49 among the Big 4 with the #1 show of the night, "America's Got Talent" (1.8/6 in 18-49, 8.9 million viewers overall from 9-11 p.m. ET), which won its two-hour time period among the Big 4 in every key measure. "Talent" led the time period among the Big 4 by a +38% margin in adults 18-49 (with a 1.8 rating vs. a 1.3 for #2 CBS) and by a +86% advantage in adults 18-34 (1.3 vs. 0.7 for CBS).
"Food Fighters" (1.1/4 in 18-49, 4.4 million viewers overall from 8-9 p.m. ET) matched a four-week high in 18-49 rating (best since a 1.2 on Aug. 5) and was even with the prior week's 1.1 rating. In the time period, "Food Fighters" tied for #2 among ABC, CBS,
NBC and
FOX in adults 18-49, tied for #1 among those nets in adults 18-34.
Wednesday:
NBC ranked #1 for the night in total viewers with the #1 show of the night by that measure, "America's Got Talent" (2.0/6 in 18-49, 10.5 million viewers overall from 9-10:01 p.m. ET), which delivered a four-week high for a Wednesday telecast in adult 18-49 rating (best since a 2.0 on Aug. 6) and a five-week high in total viewers (since 10.8 million on July 30). "Talent" was up week to week by +11% in both 18-49 rating (to a 2.0 from a 1.8) and total viewers (10.5 million vs. 9.5 million).
"Taxi Brooklyn" (0.9/3 in 18-49, 5.3 million viewers overall from 10:01-11 p.m. ET) jumped week to week by 0.2 of a point or +29% in 18-49 rating (to a 0.9 from a 0.7) and by +19% in total viewers (5.3 million vs. 4.4 million). "Taxi Brooklyn" hit a three-week high in 18-49 rating (best since a 0.9 on Aug. 13) and matched the show's best 18-49 score in five weeks (since a 1.0 on July 30). The 0.9 rating lifted "Taxi Brooklyn" within a tenth of a point of the series record and premiere rating in 18-49 (1.0). In total viewers, it was the top-scoring "Taxi Brooklyn" since July 23 (5.298 million vs. this week's 5.263 million).
An encore telecast of "America's Got Talent" (1.1/4 in 18-49, 6.4 million viewers overall from 8-9 p.m. ET) grew versus the prior week's rebroadcast in this slot by +10% in 18-49 rating (to a 1.1 from a 1.0) and by +16% in total viewers (6.4 million vs. 5.5 million). The 8 p.m. encore attracted the biggest overall audience for a Wednesday "Talent" rebroadcast among 10 so far this summer.
Thursday:
NBC Sports' coverage of the Green Bay Packers-Seattle Seahawks NFL Kickoff game (10.2/32 in 18-49, 26.9 million viewers overall from 8:42-11:30 p.m. ET) scored as television's most-watched program, entertainment or sports, since ABC's Academy Awards telecast on March 2. It's the third-most-watched NFL Kickoff game among the 13 since the NFL inaugurated this format in 2002. Versus the prior year's Ravens-Broncos matchup, the Packers-Seahawks game retained 99% of the year-ago 18-49 rating (10.2 vs. 10.3) and grew by +7% in total viewers (26.913 million vs. 25.133 million).
NBC's 8-11 p.m. ET primetime average in total viewers more than doubled the averages for ABC,
CBS and
FOX combined, according to official national averages for those networks (24.5 million viewers for
NBC vs. 10.0 million combined for ABC,
CBS and Fox). In 18-49, NBC's 8-11 p.m. average more than tripled the night's primetime results for ABC,
CBS and
FOX combined (9.0 for
NBC vs. a combined 2.6). NBC's 9.0 in the Adult 18-49 demo equals the highest primetime average for any network on a Thursday night since August 2, 2012 during NBC's coverage of the London Olympics.
It's the #7 "Sunday Night Football" telecast ever in adults 18-49 and #9 in total viewers.
The 8-8:30 p.m. ET "Kickoff Show" (3.9/16 in 18-49, 11.8 million viewers overall) grew versus the year-ago telecast by 5% in adults 18-49 (with a 3.9 rating vs. a 3.7) and by +17% in total viewers (11.8 million vs. 10.1 million).
Friday: The special "Stand Up to Cancer" aired from 8-9 p.m. ET on each of the Big 4 networks and numerous cable networks as sustaining programming. Ratings for
THE HOUR were not included in NBC's nightlong or weeklong averages.
"Dateline NBC" (0.9/3 in 18-49, 4.8 million viewers overall from 9-10 p.m. ET), with a special edition "Celebrating Joan Rivers," tied for #1 in the time period among ABC, CBS,
NBC and
FOX in adults 18-49 and adults 25-54 (with a 1.3 rating) and was #1 outright among those networks in total viewers, adults 18-34 and all key adult-female demos. Week to week, "Dateline" was even in 18-49 rating and up +7% in total viewers (4.8 million vs. 4.5 million).
The
NBC NEWS SPECIAL "Saving Dr. Brantly: The
INSIDE STORY of a Medical Miracle" (0.7/2 in 18-49, 2.9 million viewers overall from 10-11 p.m. ET) ranked #2 among ABC,
CBS and
NBC in
THE HOUR in adults 18-49.
Saturday:
NBC Sports' Michigan-Notre Dame
COLLEGE FOOTBALL (1.6/6 in 18-49, 4.6 million viewers overall from 7:30-11:05 p.m. ET) generated NBC's top-rated Saturday night in adults 18-49 and total viewers in three months, since Rangers-Kings Stanley Cup Hockey earned a 2.0 in 18-49 and 6.0 million viewers on June 7. The game ranked #2 for the night in adults 18-49 and other key demos..
Sunday: The Sunday season debut of "NBC Sunday Night Football" (9.0/26 in 18-49, 23.7 million viewers overall from 8:31-11:16 p.m. ET), featuring the Indianapolis Colts at the Denver Broncos, led
NBC to the decisive nightlong wins in every key ratings measure. It's the fifth straight year NBC's Sunday Opener has earned more than 23.5 million viewers.
For the night (from 7:30-11 p.m. ET),
NBC averaged an 7.6/22 in 18-49 and 20.4 million viewers overall, making it the top Sunday primetime performance for any network in both 18-49 and total viewers since ABC's coverage of
THE ACADEMY AWARDS on March 2.
WEEKLY AVERAGES
Average rating, share and audience in each category
ADULTS 18-49
NBC 3.6/12, 4.6 million
Fox 1.8/6, 2.3 million
CBS 1.1/4, 1.4 million
ABC 1.0/3, 1.2 million
CW 0.3/1, 0.4 million
Each rating point equals 1.27 million viewers
ADULTS 25-54
NBC 4.1/11, 4.9 million
Fox 2.0/6, 2.4 million
CBS 1.6/4, 1.9 million
ABC 1.3/4, 1.5 million
CW 0.4/1, 0.5 million
Each rating point equals 1.20 million viewers
TOTAL VIEWERS
NBC 3.7/11, 11.1 million
CBS 2.0/6, 5.9 million
Fox 1.7/5, 5.0 million
ABC 1.3/4, 3.7 million
CW 0.3/1, 1.0 million
Each rating point equals 2.95 million viewers
SEASON TO DATE
Average rating, share and audience in each category
ADULTS 18-49
NBC 2.4/7, 3.0 million
Fox 2.1/7, 2.7 million
CBS 2.0/6, 2.6 million
ABC 1.9/6, 2.4 million
CW 0.6/2, 0.8 million
Each rating point equals 1.27 million viewers
ADULTS 25-54
NBC 2.9/8, 3.5 million
CBS 2.7/7, 3.3 million
Fox 2.4/7, 2.9 million
ABC 2.4/6, 2.8 million
CW 0.7/2, 0.8 million
Each rating point equals 1.20 million viewers
TOTAL VIEWERS
CBS 3.1/9, 9.3 million
NBC 2.8/8, 8.3 million
ABC 2.3/6, 6.9 million
Fox 2.1/6, 6.2 million
CW 0.6/1, 1.6 million
Each rating point equals 2.89 million viewers
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