NBC has delivered a decisive win for the primetime ratings week of Sept. 14-20 in adults 18-49, total viewers and all other key measures, with gains versus the same week last year in every key category, wrapping up a victorious 2014-15 primetime season with a second consecutive season-long crown for NBC in adults 18-49.
It's the 11th consecutive week
NBC has ranked #1 or tied for #1 among the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49, the longest unbeaten streak for any network in six years, since
FOX won 17 weeks in a row in 2009 from the week of Feb. 2 to the week of May 25, 2009. The 11-week streak is also NBC's longest in 12 years, since the network finished #1 or tied for #1 for 16 consecutive weeks in 2003 from the week of May 26 through the week of Sept. 8, 2003.
NBC's "Sunday Night Football" ranked #1 for the week among primetime telecasts on ABC, CBS,
NBC and
FOX in adults 18-49, and all other key measures, including all key adult-women demos, plus kids 2-11 and teens 12-17.
Joining football in the week's top 20 on the Big 4 nets were: Tuesday's "America's Got Talent" (#5), Monday's "American Ninja Warrior" finale (tied for #6), Wednesday's "Talent" finale (tied for #6), Tuesday's debut of "Best Time Ever With Neil Patrick Harris" (tied for #11), Thursday's "Jeff Dunham: Unhinged in Hollywood" (#15), Friday's "Dateline NBC" (tied for #16), Wednesday's "Talent" encore (tied for #16) and Thursday's "Mat Franco's Got Magic" (tied for #19). Rankings exclude sports pre- and post-game shows.
With the conclusion of the 52-week 2014-15 season,
NBC has won its second consecutive season in adults 18-49 and was also #1 for the season or tied for #1 among the Big 4 networks in adults 25-54, adults 18-34 and all key adult-male demos, including an outright win over
CBS in adults 25-54 (with a 2.7 rating vs. a 2.6).
NBC won the season in adults 18-49 with or without its
SUPER BOWL boost from last February (averaging a 2.0 rating without the
SUPER BOWL vs. a 1.9 each for
ABC and CBS).
In total viewers,
NBC finished #2 for the season with or without its Olympics boost, within 7% of its year-ago Olympics-boosted average (7.8 million vs. 8.3 million).
Primetime averages for the week of Sept. 14-20 in adults 18-49 are: NBC, 2.5/9; CBS, 1.7/6; Fox, 1.7/6; ABC, 0.9/3; and CW, 0.3/1. In overall total viewers, the weekly averages were: NBC, 8.7 million; CBS, 6.6 million; Fox, 5.3 million; ABC, 4.3 million; and CW, 1.0 million.
"Most current" averages for the completed 52-week 2014-15 season to date are: NBC, 2.1/7; ABC, 1.9/6; CBS, 1.9/6; Fox, 1.7/6; and CW, 0.7/2. In overall total viewers, the season averages are: CBS, 9.5 million; NBC, 7.8 million; ABC, 7.0 million; Fox, 5.1 million; and CW, 1.8 million.
NBC highlights for the week of Sept. 14-20:
Monday
NBC won the night among the Big 4 in adults 18-49, the network's eighth win in nine nights (including a tied), as "American Ninja Warrior" (2.1 rating, 7 share in adults 18-49, 6.2 million viewers overall from 8-11 p.m. ET) grew +24% week to week in 18-49 (2.1 vs. 1.7) to deliver its best-ever finale in 18-49 and total viewers. "Ninja" beat its year-ago finale by +17% in both 18-49 (2.1 vs. 1.8 from 9-11 p.m. on Sept. 8, 2014) and total viewers (6.2 million vs. 5.3 million) and also equaled the show's highest rating for any telecast, finale or otherwise, since [[[June 8]]], 2012 (2.2). "Ninja" tied ABC's season premiere of "Dancing With the Stars" as the #1 Big 4 telecast of the night in 18-49 and led
NBC to the nightlong win among the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49.
"Live Plus Three Day" Ratings: "American Ninja Warrior" increased by +17% in 18-49 rating going from "live plus same day" to "live plus three day" Nielsens (from a 2.07 rating to a 2.42) and by 1.0 viewers overall (from 6.2 million to 7.2 million).
"Live Plus Seven Day" Ratings: "American Ninja Warrior" has grown by +18% in 18-49 rating going from "live plus same day" to "live plus seven day" ratings (from a 1.94 to a 2.28) and 875,000 viewers overall (6.6 million to 7.5 million).
Tuesday
NBC swept Tuesday night among the Big 4 networks, winning the night among those nets in all key categories and claiming six of six half-hours in adults 18-49 (including a tie from 8-8:30).
"America's Got Talent" (2.4/9 in 18-49, 11.4 million viewers overall from 8-10:01 p.m. ET) ranked as the #1 show of the night on the Big 4 networks in every key measure and was up week to week by +14% in 18-49 (2.4 vs. 2.1) and +8% in total viewers (11.4 million vs. 10.5 million). "Talent" won the time period by a +60% margin among the Big 4 in 18-49 (2.4 vs. 1.5 for
CBS from 8-10). L+3: "America's Got Talent" grew by +18% in 18-49 rating going from L+SD to L+3 Nielsens (from a 2.36 rating to a 2.78) and by 1.4 million viewers overall (from 11.4 million to 12.8 million). L+7: Tuesday's "America's Got Talent" has grown by +29% in 18-49 rating (from a 2.35 to a 3.02) and more than 2.0 million viewers overall (10.7 million to 12.7 million) going from L+SD to L+7.
"Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris" (1.8/7 in 18-49, 6.6 million viewers overall from 10:01-11 p.m. ET) equaled NBC's top 18-49 rating for an alternative series premiere since "Take It All" on Monday, Dec. 10, 2012 (2.2), matching over that span "I Can Do That" (1.8 on May 26, 2015). "Best Time Ever" jumped +29% versus NBC's time-period average with originals this season following Tuesday's "Talent" (1.8 vs. 1.4 in 18-49) and matched NBC's highest rating in the slot excluding May's "Voice" finale since April 7 (2.0). In total viewers, it was the biggest non-"Voice" audience for
NBC in the slot since May 10 (6.7 million). "Best Time Ever" won the slot among ABC,
CBS and
NBC in every key category with a margin in adults 18-49 of +64% (1.8 vs. 1.1 for ABC's #2 "Dancing with the Stars: First Dances"). L+3: "Best Time Ever" grew by 0.42 of a point +23% in 18-49 rating going from L+SD to L+3 Nielsens (from a 1.83 rating to a 2.25) and by 1.1 million viewers overall (from 6.6 million to 7.7 million). The 0.42 increase is the biggest for any alternative series debut on the broadcast nets in the past 12 months, since Fox's "Utopia" grew by +0.43 on Sunday, Sept. 7, 2014.
Wednesday
NBC won Wednesday night among the Big 4 networks in all key measures. With the Wednesday win in adults 18-49,
NBC finished #1 for a 10thtime in 11 nights among the Big 4 networks (including one tie) in a stretch that started Sunday, Sept. 6 and extended through Wednesday, Sept. 16.
The season finale of "America's Got Talent" (2.1/7 in 18-49, 9.7 million viewers overall from 9-11 p.m. ET) jumped +17% week to week in 18-49 (2.1 vs. 1.8) and +2% in total viewers (9.7 million vs. 9.5 million) to claim season highs for a Wednesday telecast in both measures. The "Talent" finale also generated NBC's top 18-49 and total-viewer results in the time period in 10 months (since Nov. 12, 2014, 2.3 in 18-49, 9.773 million viewers overall with a "Chicago Fire" /"SVU" / "Chicago P.D." crossover). "Talent" was the #1 show of the night on the Big 4 networks in 18-49 and most other key measures. L+3: "Talent" by grew +20% in 18-49 (2.09 to 2.50 and by 1.6 million viewers overall (9.7 million to 11.3 million) going from L+SD to L+3. Despite competition from CNN's Republican Presidential Debate, which averaged a 4.9 in 18-49 and 23 million viewers, "Talent" finished within 6% of its year-ago finale in L+3 (2.50 vs. 2.65). L+7: Wednesday's "Talent" has increased by +27% in 18-49 rating (from a 1.65 to a 2.09) and 1.6 million viewers overall (8.8 million to 10.4 million) going from L+SD to L+7.
Thursday
NBC ranked #2 for the night among the Big 4 networks in all key measures and was #1 among those nets excluding sports, with
THE SPECIALS "Jeff Dunham: Unhinged in Hollywood" (1.3/5 in 18-49, 6.5 million viewers overall from 8-9 p.m. ET) and "Mat Franco's Got Magic" (1.1/4 in 18-49, 5.5 million viewers overall from 9-11 p.m. ET) the #1-2 non-sports telecasts of the night on the Big 4 in every key category.
"Jeff Dunham: Unhinged in Hollywood" ranked as the time period's top non-sports program on the Big 4 in every key measure - adults, men and women 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54, plus total viewers. The Dunham special produced NBC's highest 18-49 and total-viewer results in the time period, excluding sports, since June 25 (1.3 in 18-49, 6.9 million viewers overall for "Dateline Mystery"). "Unhinged" ranked #1 or tied for #1 among the night's non-sports telecasts on the Big 4 networks in all key categories.
"Mat Franco's Got Magic" ranked as the two-hour time slot's #1 non-sports program on the Big 4 in every key measure. Starring the 2014 winner of "America's Got Talent," "Mat Franco's Got Magic" ranked #2 or tied for #1 among the night's non-sports program on the Big 4 in all key categories.
For the night,
NBC tied its top Thursday average of the summer, excluding sports, in 18-49 with a 1.1 rating, while in total viewers set a Thursday non-sports high for
NBC since May 28 with 5.3 million persons.
Friday
NBC ranked #1 Friday night among the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49 and adults 25-54 and was #1 or tied for #1 in all other key demos.
An encore telecast of "Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris" (0.7/3 in 18-49, 3.2 million viewers overall from 8-9 p.m. ET) won the time period among the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49. The rebroadcast "Best Time Ever" scored a six-week time-period high for
NBC in 18-49, best in the slot since an "America's Got Talent" encore on Aug. 7.
"Dateline NBC" (1.2/5 in adults 18-49, 5.1 million viewers overall from 9-11 p.m. ET) reported its highest Friday ratings in adults 18-49 and adults 25-54 (1.7) in five months (since April 3). "Dateline" was Friday's #1 telecast on the Big 4 in adults, men and women 18-49 and adults, men and women 25-54. Friday's "Dateline" grew week to week for a third week in a row in 18-49. For the Friday 10-11 p.m. hour, "Dateline" has ranked #1 or tied for #1 in 18-49 for 12 of the last 13 weeks among ABC,
CBS and NBC. L+7: Friday's "Dateline" is increasing by an average of +26% in 18-49 rating (from a 1.14 to a 1.44) and 959,000 viewers overall (5.8 million to 6.7 million) going from L+SD to L+7.
Saturday
A rebroadcast of "American Ninja Warrior" averaged a 0.6/2 in 18-49 and 2.1 million viewers overall from 8-11 p.m. ET.
Sunday
NBC Sports coverage of Seattle Seahawks-Green Bay Packers "Sunday Night Football" (9.7/ 29 in 18-49, 26.4 million viewers overall from 8:31-11:45 p.m. ET) led
NBC to decisive Sunday wins in all key measures, taking the night among ABC, CBS,
NBC and
FOX by a +69% margin in adults 18-49 (8.1 vs. 4.8 for #2 Fox). The Seahawks-Packers matchup topped by +18% the viewership for last year's Week 2 game (Bears-49ers, 22.3 million). It was the most-watched primetime NFL Week 2 game in 24 years (since Redskins-Cowboys on
ABC averaged 27.5 million in 1991).
Through the opening two weeks of the NFL season (three telecasts),
NBC is averaging 26.8 million viewers - the best viewership for the NFL's broadcast primetime package at this point in the season in 22 years (28.3 million for
ABC in 1993), and up +10% from last year at this time (24.3 million viewers). "SNF" is also averaging a 10.0 rating in the adult 18-49 demographic, + 8% respectively from this point last season.
