RATINGS: NBC Wins The Week Of Dec. 9-15 In Viewers

NBC has averaged a 1.2 rating in adults 18-49 and 5.9 million viewers overall for the primetime week of Dec. 9-15 to win the week in total viewers, according to "live plus same day" figures from Nielsen Media Research.

NBC's Bills-Steelers "Sunday Night Football" ranked as the #1 primetime telecast of the week in adults 18-49 and total viewers, while Monday and Tuesday editions of NBC's "The Voice" were the week's #1 and #2 entertainment programs in total viewers.

In the key 18-49 demo, the two editions of "The Voice" teamed with Tuesday's "Ellen's Greatest Night of Giveaways" to tie for #6 and join "SNF" in accounting for four of the week's top 8 primetime shows in 18-49 (rankings exclude sports pre- and post-game shows).

The three nights of "Giveaways" have delivered three of the season's four biggest overall audiences for Christmas specials (with 6.8 million, 6.0 million and 5.9 million viewers respectively on Tuesday through Thursday), trailing only NBC's Dec. 4 telecast of "Christmas in Rockefeller Center" (6.9 million).

Season to date, NBC ranks #1 as the most-watched network in total viewers, marking the first time since 1999 that NBC has led in total viewers at this point in the season.

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 12 Averages

Adult 18-49 Rating, "live plus same day," Dec. 9-15

Fox...1.6

NBC...1.2

CBS...0.6

ABC...0.5

CW...0.3

Total Viewers

NBC...5.9 million

Fox...5.5 million

CBS...5.4 million

ABC...3.1 million

CW...0.9 million

Season-to-Date Averages

Adult 18-49 Rating, "Most Current"

Fox...2.1

NBC...1.8

ABC...1.1

CBS...1.1

CW...0.4

Total Viewers

NBC...8.2 million

CBS...8.0 million

Fox...7.5 million

ABC...5.6 million

CW...1.2 million

NBC highlights for the week of Dec. 9-15:

Monday

NBC wins Monday night among the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49, adults 25-54 and total viewers.

"The Voice" (1.2 rating in 18-49, 8.2 million viewers overall from 8-10:01 p.m. ET) matched the show's highest Monday rating since Nov. 4 (1.3) and delivered its most-watched Monday telecast since Oct. 7 (8.5 million). "Voice" was the #1 show of the night on the Big 4 networks adults 18-49, adults 25-54 and total viewers. Week to week, Monday's "Voice" grew +9% in 18-49 (1.2 vs. 1.1) and +2% in total viewers (8.221 million vs. 8.031 million).

"Making It" (0.4 rating in 18-49, 2.4 million viewers overall from 10:01-11 p.m. ET) maintains 100% versus the previous episode in 18-49 (0.4 vs. 0.4 on the prior Thursday) and is up +41% in total viewers (2.382 million vs. 1.685 million). Delayed Viewing: Season 1 of the series more than doubled with digital and linear delayed viewing (from a 0.9 rating in "live plus same day" Nielsens to a 2.0 with all delayed viewing tallied to date). In total viewers, the show has grown by more than +50% (4.0 million to 6.1 million).

Tuesday

NBC tied for the Tuesday win with FOX (boosted by a special Tuesday "Masked Singer") in adults 18-49, adults 25-54 and adults 18-34.

The premiere of the three-night holiday event "Ellen's Greatest Night of Giveaways" (1.2 rating in 18-49, 6.8 million viewers overall from 8-9:01 p.m. ET) beat "The Masked Singer" in the timeslot by more than 1.0 million persons (6.8 million vs. 5.8 million) and tied as the #2 show of the night on the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49 with "The Voice" behind only "Masked Singer." The Tuesday "Giveaways" tied "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" as the top-rated Christmas special so far this season in 18-49 and finished a close #2 behind "Christmas in Rockefeller Center" in total viewers (6.8 million vs. 6.9 million).

"The Voice" (1.2 rating in 18-49, 8.3 million viewers overall from 9:01-10:01 p.m. ET) grew +20% week to week in 18-49 (1.2 vs. 1.0) and by +1.9 million persons or +29% in total viewers (8.3 million vs. 6.4 million) to beat the comparable telecast from the prior cycle by +20% in 18-49 (1.2 vs. 1.0 on May 14) and +1.7 million persons or +27% in total viewers (8.310 million vs. 6.564 million). "Voice" ranked #1 in the hour among the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49, adults 25-54, total viewers and every other key ratings measure and was the #1 most-watched show of the night.

"Making It" (0.5 rating in 18-49, 2.9 million viewers overall from 10:01-11 p.m. ET) set a new season high in total viewers and equaled its season high in 18-49, while growing by +0.1 of a point or +25% versus the prior night's episode in 18-49 (0.5 vs. 0.4 Monday from 10:01-11 p.m.) and by +22% in total viewers (2.914 million vs. 2.382 million). Versus the episode before that last Thursday, the Dec. 10 "Making It" was up +73% in total viewers (2.9 million vs. 1.7 million). "Making It" tied for the 10 p.m. win in adults 18-49 and won the hour outright in adults 25-54 and adults 18-34.

Wednesday

Night 2 of "Ellen's Greatest Night of Giveaways" (1.0 rating in 18-49, 6.0 million viewers overall from 8-9:01 p.m. ET) grew +11% from its first half-hour to its second in adults 18-49 (0.9 to 1.0) by +9% in women 18-49 (1.1 to 1.2) and +3% in total viewers (5.9 million to 6.1 million). "Giveaways" was television's #3 show of the night in adults 18-49 and total viewers.

A 9 p.m. telecast of "Making It" (0.6 rating in 18-49, 2.8 million viewers overall from 9:01-10 p.m. ET) set a new season high for the show in 18-49 and delivered the show's #3 most-watched episode of the season. Versus the prior night's episode, the 9 p.m. "Making It" was up +20% in 18-49 (0.6 vs. 0.5 Tuesday from 10:01-11 p.m.) and retained 95% in total viewers (2.8 million vs. 2.9 million, which Tuesday night represented a season high for "Making It").

A second episode of "Making It" (0.5 rating in 18-49, 2.1 million viewers overall from 10-11 p.m. ET) tied the 0.5 in 18-49 that was the show's season high prior to Wednesday night and retained 100% of the prior week's Wednesday 10 p.m. telecast. The 10 p.m. "Making It" finished within 0.1 of the timeslot lead in adults 18-49 and tied for #1 among ABC, CBS and NBC in women 18-49 and adults 18-34.

Thursday

Night 3 of "Ellen's Greatest Night of Giveaways" (1.0 rating in 18-49, 5.9 million viewers overall from 8-9:01 p.m. ET) tied as the #1 non-sports show of the night on the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49 with "Young Sheldon" and ranked#1 outright in the 8-9 p.m. hour excluding sports, ahead of CBS' full hour of comedy (1.0 vs. 0.9). In its three nights, "Giveaways" delivered three of the season's four most-watched Christmas specials, with all three episodes trailing only "Christmas in Rockefeller Center" (6.9 million). The Dec. 12 telecast unwrapped NBC's best 18-49 rating in the Thursday 8-9 p.m. timeslot, excluding sports, since Feb. 28 (1.0 with the "Titan Games" finale) and top non-sports total-viewer result since Jan. 3 (6.5 million with the "Titan Games" premiere).

"Superstore" (0.6 rating in 18-49, 2.7 million viewers overall from 9:01-9:31 p.m. ET), despite having been preempted during the prior two weeks and moving from its regular 8 p.m. timeslot, generated an increase in total viewers (2.666 million vs. 2.656 million on Nov. 21). In the timeslot, "Superstore" finished within 0.1 of a point of CBS' rival comedy "Mom," (0.6 vs. 0.7).

"Perfect Harmony" (0.4 rating in 18-49, 1.8 million viewers overall from 9:31-10 p.m. ET), despite being preempted each of the previous two weeks and airing outside its usual 8:30 timeslot, maintained 100% of the show's prior result in adults 18-49 (0.4 vs. 0.4 on Nov.21). Social: Generating 14,000 Total Interactions, this week's episode of "Perfect Harmony" generated a +76% increase in engagement versus the prior week's episode (8,000).

An encore telecast of "A Legendary Christmas with John and Chrissy" (0.3 rating in 18-49, 1.7 million viewers overall from 10-11 p.m. ET) combined with last year's original and encore to total 8.3 million viewers.

Friday

"The Blacklist" (0.5 rating in 18-49, 3.9 million viewers overall from 8-9 p.m. ET) retained 100% week to week in 18-49 (0.5 vs. 0.5) and increased by +5% in total viewers (3.9 million vs. 3.7 million). Versus NBC's average in the timeslot last season, the Dec. 13 "Blacklist" maintained 100% in 18-49 (0.5 vs. 0.5, L+SD non-sports) and grew +24% in total viewers (3.9 million vs. 3.1 million). Social: "The Blacklist" scored as Friday's most social scripted primetime drama with 62,000 Total Interactions, a +76% increase versus the 35,000 for the prior week's episode and a +155% increase over the series average of 24,000, to rank as the second most social episode of the series (Source: Nielsen Social Content Ratings, 12/13/19, Percent Share, Primetime, Drama).

"Dateline NBC" (0.5 rating in 18-49, 0.8 in adults 25-54, 3.5 million viewers overall from 9-11 p.m. ET) tied for #1 among the Big 4 networks in its two-hour 9-11 p.m. timeslot in the key news demo of adults 25-54, and for its second hour from 10-11 p.m., ranked #1 outright in 25-54 and tied for #1 among ABC, CBS and NBC in adults 18-49. "Dateline" was the #1 newsmagazine of the night in total viewers. From its first half-hour to its fourth, "Dateline" grew by +25% in adults 18-49 (0.4 to 0.5), +29% in adults 25-54 (0.7 to 0.9) and +19% in total viewers (3.2 million to 3.8 million). L+7: "Dateline" is growing this season by +53% going from L+SD to L+7 Nielsens in 18-49 rating (from a 0.53 to a 0.81) and by +1.2 million viewers overall (3.4 million to 4.6 million).

Sunday

NBC Sports coverage of Buffalo Bills-Pittsburgh Steelers "Sunday Night Football" (5.3 rating in 18-49, 17.9 million viewers overall from 8:23-11:14 p.m. ET) won the night in all key ratings measures - adults, men and women 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54, plus total viewers. With a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 18.5 million, the Dec. 15 telecast topped by +28% only the only prior Bills' NBC "SNF" Game, Which Was 12 Years Ago (14.5 million vs. the unbeaten Patriots, Nov. 18, 2007).

This season, NBC's "Sunday Night Football" is averaging a TAD of 20.5 Million Viewers. It's "SNF's" strongest season through Week 15 since 2015, up +4% versus last year (19.8 Million).

To post a comment, you must register and login.