NBC Wins its 4th Straight September-to-September Season

NBC has won its fourth consecutive September-to-September television season in the key primetime demographic of adults 18-49, having clinched a first-place finish with one week left to count in the 2016-17 season, according to "most current" ratings data from Nielsen Media Research.

NBC has also won the season among the Big 4 networks in every other key demographic -- adults 25-54, men and women 25-54, men and women 18-49, and adults, men and women 18-34 (including a tie in men 18-34). In total viewers, NBC ranks #2 and, when excluding sports, is running within 1.040 million persons of first-place CBS in that category, the closest it's been to CBS at this point in the season excluding sports in 14 years.

In the key adult 18-49 demographic, NBC is #1 for the season when counting all programming as well as with entertainment programming only, scripted shows only and alternative programs only, and is also #1 in alternative programs in total viewers.

In "most current" ratings from Nielsen Media Research through Sept. 17, with one week left to count in the September-to-September season, NBC is averaging a 1.9 rating in adults 18-49 to rank #1 for the season with a margin that's certain to stand when the full averages are reported by Nielsen next week.

It's the first time NBC has won the September-to-September season in 18-49 with no boost from an Olympics or SUPER BOWL in 14 years, since taking the 2002-03 season.

NBC's margin of +0.4 of a rating point in adults 18-49 is the biggest win for any network in six years, since FOX held a +0.6 advantage at this point in the 2010-11 season. On a percentage basis, NBC is leading by +27%, the largest percentage lead for any network with one week left to count in the season in 19 years, since NBC led the 1997-98 season by a +34% advantage.

In total viewers, excluding live news and sports, NBC is averaging 6.790 million persons, to pull within 1.040 million viewers of CBS' 7.830 million. That's the closest NBC has run to CBS in total viewers with one week to go in the season, excluding sports, since 2002-03, when the gap was 598,000.

2017-18 Season Averages Thru Sept. 17

Adult 18-49 Rating, "Most Current"

NBC...1.9

Fox...1.5

CBS...1.5

ABC...1.5

Total Viewers

CBS...8.1 million

NBC...7.5 million

ABC...5.7 million

Fox...4.9 million

2017-18 Averages, Entertainment Programs Only

Adults 18-49 Rating, "Most Current" thru Sept. 17

Excludes Live News & Sports

NBC...1.5

ABC...1.4

CBS...1.3

Fox...1.2

NBC has won 33 weeks this season in adults 18-49 among the Big 4 networks (including four ties, L+SD), while CBS, ABC and FOX have won a combined 24 weeks (including four ties), marking the fourth season in a row NBC has won more weeks in 18-49 than the other Big 4 networks combined.

NBC's primetime lineup has also dominated the ratings for the summer of 2017, and is headed toward its seventh consecutive summer win in adults 18-49 and third in a row in total viewers.

The network's strong summer was paced by the Tuesday edition of "America's Got Talent," the #1 most-watched entertainment series on all of television in "live plus same day" full-season Nielsen averages that include regular originals and encores, with an average of 12.8 million viewers. In L+7, all "Talent" originals have achieved a viewership of 15.7 million, which is up +14% versus last summer to make this the show's most-watched season ever.

NBC also launched the biggest hit of the summer, "World of Dance," featuring judge and executive producer Jennifer Lopez. In "live plus same day" Nielsens, "World of Dance" ranks as the season's #2 new series on all of television in 18-49 and #1 new alternative show in 18-49 and total viewers. With a L+7 average of 10.1 million viewers overall, "World of Dance" is the most-watched new summer alternative series on the broadcast nets in 10 years.

In the 10:30 lead-in to local news this season NBC ranked a decisive #1 averaging a 2.1 rating in the key news demographic of adults 25-54 Mondays through Fridays from 10:30-11 p.m., versus a 1.7 for CBS and a 1.6 for ABC.

NBC has also delivered #1 ratings in late night, with "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" and "Late Night with Seth Meyers" leading their ABC and CBS time-period competition for the season in every key ratings demographic. The network also generated #1 Nielsens in morning news, with "Today" leading in the adult 18-49 and adults 25-54 demographics; in evening news, with "NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt" also ranking #1 in 18-49 and 25-54; and in Sunday morning public affairs, with "Meet the Press" #1 in 18-49, 25-54 and total viewers.

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