NBC has finished #1 in adults 18-49 for the primetime week of November 5-11, marking the network’s sixth win in the season’s seven weeks to date (and 10th win in 11 weeks overall). NBC’s 3.1 rating for the week in 18-49 matches the network’s highest average for an in-season week since January 31-February 6, the week of the Super Bowl.
It’s the first time in five years (since November 2007) that NBC has maintained a 3.1 rating or higher in 18-49 for two consecutive non-Olympic in-season weeks.
NBC took the week with a 29 percent increase in adults 18-49 versus the same week last year and was also up versus the same week last year by double-digit percentage in all other key ratings categories. NBC was #1 among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox for the week in every key demographic: adults, men and women 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54. In total viewers, NBC’s 8.8 million persons for the week is up 30 percent versus the same week last year and is also the network’s highest in-season average since Super Bowl week.
With the win, NBC ranks #1 in 18-49 for the season to date, the first time the network has ranked #1 outright at the point in the season in 10 years (since 2002). NBC’s margin over second-place CBS of 14 percent (3.2 vs. 2.8) is the second biggest for any network at this point in the season in 11 years (since NBC’s 19 percent lead in 2001), trailing over that span only Fox’s 16 percent lead in 2009.
Season to date, NBC is up 23 percent in adults 18-49 (with a 3.2 average rating versus last year’s 2.6), the biggest year-to-year increase for any network at this point in the season in three years (since Fox was up 23 percent at this point in 2009) and the biggest increase for NBC at this point in the season in the 25-year history of Nielsen’s people meter sample. In total viewers, NBC is up versus one year ago by 20 percent (8.8 million vs. 7.3 million). NBC is ahead of its year-ago season average by double-digit percentages in every key ratings category.
NBC won four of the week’s seven nights in 18-49 – Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday — while ABC won two and CBS won one.
NBC delivered four of the week’s top seven primetime programs on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in adults 18-49. “Sunday Night Football” ranked #1 for the week in adults 18-49, Monday’s “The Voice” was #4, NBC News’ Tuesday election coverage was #5, Wednesday’s “Voice” was #7, Thursday’s “Voice” tied for #12 and “Revolution” tied for #16 (rankings exclude sports pre- and post-game shows).
“Sunday Night Football” was the #1 primetime show of the week on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in total viewers; adults 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54; men 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54; kids 2-11 and teens 12-17. Monday’s “Voice” was #1 on those networks in women 18-34 and women 18-49.
For the season to date, NBC’s schedule features four of primetime’s top seven programs on the broadcast nets (“Sunday Night Football,” #1; Monday’s “The Voice” #4; and “Revolution” and Tuesday’s “The Voice,” in a three-way tie for #5). NBC’s schedule features the #1 show overall (“SNF”), a tie for the #1 drama on the broadcast networks (“Revolution,” tied with ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy”), the #1 new comedy (“Go On”) and #1 Friday series (“Grimm”) (sports pre- and post-game shows are excluded from these rankings).
Primetime averages for the week of November 5-11 in adults 18-49 were: NBC, 3.1/8; Fox, 2.3/6; ABC, 2.3/6; CBS, 2.2/6; and CW, 0.7/2. In overall total viewers, the weekly averages were: CBS, 9.3 million; NBC, 8.8 million; ABC, 8.0 million; Fox, 6.3 million; and CW, 1.7 million.
Season to date averages through six weeks are: NBC, 3.2/9; CBS, 2.8/8; ABC, 2.6/7; Fox, 2.5/7; and CW, 0.7/2. In overall total viewers, the season averages are: CBS, 11.7 million; ABC, 9.0 million; NBC, 8.8 million; Fox, 7.1 million; and CW, 1.8 million.
NBC highlights for the week of November 5-11
Monday: NBC finished #1 among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox for the night in 18-49, winning six of six half-hours among those networks to give NBC seven consecutive in-season Monday wins, the network’s longest in-season Monday winning streak in over 10 years (since April 8-May 20, 2002).
“The Voice” (4.5 rating, 11 share in adults 18-49, 11.9 million viewers overall) delivered the #1 results of the night on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in adults 18-49, making it Monday’s top entertainment telecast for a ninth week in a row. The first live “Voice” telecast of the current cycle posted a 10 percent gain over last season’s first live show (4.5 vs. 4.1 on Monday, April 2).
At 10 p.m. ET, “Revolution” (2.8/7 in adults 18-49, 7.3 million viewers overall) ranked #1 in the time period among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in every key demographic.
Tuesday: NBC won its fifth consecutive Tuesday in 18-49 among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox, as NBC News delivered the most-watched primetime coverage on broadcast or cable television of the 2012 presidential election. The 8-11 p.m. ET coverage averaged 12.0 million viewers overall, a 4.8 rating in adults 25-54 and a 4.3/10 in adults 18-49, and led six of six primetime half-hours in all three categories.
Wednesday: NBC won its first in-season Wednesday in 18-49 with non-sports programming since Christmas Eve 2008, as “Chicago Fire” (2.2/6 in adults 18-49, 7.0 million viewers overall) hit series highs and a special Wednesday “Voice” (3.8/10 in 18-49, 10.5 million viewers overall) delivered NBC’s highest in-season 18-49 rating in the time period, excluding sports, in five years (since September 26, 2007).
“Chicago Fire” is the first new drama on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox this season to beat its premiere results (1.9 in 18-49, 6.6 million viewers overall on Oct. 10) with a subsequent telecast.
Thursday: A special Thursday edition of “The Voice” (3.0/8 in 18-49, 8.8 million viewers overall) delivered NBC’s top results in the time period with non-sports programming since December 17, 2009 in 18-49 and since April 2, 2009 in total viewers.
That lead-in helped “The Office” (2.4/6 in 18-49, 4.8 million viewers overall) grow versus its prior telecast by 26 percent in 18-49 rating (to a 2.4 from a 1.9 on October 25) and 21 percent in total viewers (4.8 million vs. 4.0 million). “The Office” earned its top 18-49 rating and biggest overall audience since March 15.
Friday: “Grimm” (1.7/5 in 18-49, 5.2 million viewers overall) tied for the #1 rating of the night for a scripted program on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox and improved on its 1.6 rating for the same night last year. At 10 p.m. ET, “”Dateline NBC” (1.3/4 in 18-49, 4.7 million viewers overall) grew week to week by 18 percent in adults 18-49 (to a 1.3 rating from a 1.1) and 23 percent in total viewers (4.655 million vs. 3.791 million).
Sunday: NBC led Sunday night among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in every key ratings category with Texans-Bears “Sunday Night Football” (7.9/19 in 18-49, 20.9 million viewers overall, 12.4/19 in households).
Ratings reflect “live plus same day” data from Nielsen Media Research unless otherwise noted. Season-to-date figures are averages of “live plus seven day” data except for the two most recent weeks, which are “live plus same day.”
