NBC Dominates The Week Of 9/3

NBC has dominated the primetime ratings week of Sept. 3-9, led by the four most-watched primetime programs of the week - Sunday and Thursday season openers for "NBC Sunday Night Football" and Tuesday and Wednesday editions of "America's Got Talent."

For the week, NBC generated a 2.6 rating in adults 18-49 and 9.3 million viewers overall, for the highest adult 18-49 and total-viewers averages for any network since NBC aired the Winter Olympics the week of Feb. 19-25 (3.1 in 18-49, 14.2 million viewers overall).

According to "live plus same day" figures from Nielsen Media Research, NBC won the week among the Big 4 networks in all key measures - adults, men and women 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54, plus total viewers. Even excluding sports, NBC won the week in each of those key categories (including ties in adults 18-34 and women 18-34).

It's the 13th week in a row NBC has ranked #1 or tied for #1 in 18-49 and the network's 10th consecutive weeklong win in total viewers.

In total viewers, Sunday and Thursday NFL telecasts and Tuesday and Wednesday editions of "America's Got Talent" ranked #1-2-3-4 respectively among primetime programs for the week, while "World of Dance" finished #13, "American Ninja Warrior" ranked #14 and Friday's "Dateline NBC" took 15th among primetime programs on ABC, CBS, NBC or Fox. Rankings exclude sports pre- and post-game shows.

In 18-49, Sunday and Thursday football again ranked #1-2, while Tuesday's" "Talent" finished #4, Wednesday's "AGT" tied for #5 and "American Ninja Warrior" and "World of Dance" tied for #9.

For the season, NBC has clinched first place for the 52-Week September to September season in 18-49, total viewers and every other key measure (see separate release). It's NBC's first finish as America's #1 most-watched network since 2001-02.

In adults 18-49, NBC is dominating the current primetime season, with a lead over #2 ABC and CBS of +0.5 of a rating point or +38% (1.8 vs. 1.3). The +38% advantage is the best for any #1 network at this point in the season in the 31-year history of Nielsen's current people-meter sample.

Season to date, NBC also ranks #1 among ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX in every other key ratings measure - adults, men and women 18-34; men and women 18-49; and adults, men and women 25-54, as well as total viewers.

Counting entertainment programming only, NBC ranks #1 for the season in adults, men and women 18-49 and adults 25-54 and is #1 or tied for #1 in adults 18-34, men 18-34, men 25-54 and women 25-54.

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 50 Averages

Adult 18-49 Rating, "live plus same day," Sept. 3-9

NBC...2.6

Fox...1.1

ABC...0.8

CBS...0.6

CW...0.2

Total Viewers

NBC...9.3 million

CBS...3.8 million

Fox...3.5 million

ABC...3.5 million

CW...0.7 million

Season-to-Date Averages

Adult 18-49 Rating, "Most Current"

NBC...1.8

ABC...1.3

CBS...1.3

Fox...1.2

CW...0.5

Total Viewers

NBC...7.8 million

CBS...7.7 million

ABC...5.5 million

Fox...4.2 million

CW...1.5 million

NBC highlights for the week of Sept. 3-9:

Monday

"American Ninja Warrior" (1.1/4 in 18-49, 4.9 million viewers overall from 8-10 p.m. ET) ranked as the #1 show of the night on the Big 4 networks in total viewers and tied for #1 in 18-49. It's the fourth week in a row "Ninja" has finished as Monday's most-watched Big 4 show. The 1.1 in 18-49 equals "Ninja's" highest result since June 6.

"Live Plus Three Day" Ratings: "Ninja" increased by +17% in 18-49 (from a 1.05 rating to a 1.23) and +560,000 viewers overall (4.9 million to 5.4 million) going from "live plus same day" Nielsens to L+3.

Upscale: "Ninja" is delivering a solid upscale audience, generating a 120 index among adults 18-49 living in homes with $100K+ incomes (with 100 representing an average concentration of those homes, according to "most current" Nielsens, including L+3).

An encore telecast of "America's Got Talent" (0.5/2 in 18-49, 2.5 million viewers overall from 10-11 p.m. ET) tied for #2 in the timeslot among ABC, CBS and NBC in adults 18-49 with CBS' original "Elementary" in adults 18-49 and adults 25-54.

Tuesday

NBC ranked #1 Tuesday night in adults 18-49, total viewers and every other key measure, winning six of six half-hours in adults 18-49. NBC has now won 15 of the last 16 Tuesday nights among the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49 and 16 Tuesdays in a row in total viewers.

"America's Got Talent" (1.8/8 in 18-49, 10.7 million viewers overall from 8-10:01 p.m. ET) ranked as the #1 show of the night in 18-49, total viewers and all other key measures. "Talent" dominated the timeslot, beating ABC's "Bachelor in Paradise" by +80% in 18-49 (1.8 vs. 1.0) and +6.8 million persons in total viewers (10.7 million vs. 3.9 million). L+3: "Talent" increased by +25% in 18-49 (1.83 to 2.29) and +1.9 million viewers overall (10.7 million to 12.6 million) going from L+SD to L+3, for the biggest L+3 lifts of the night in 18-49 rating and total viewers. Upscale: "Talent" is generating a strong upscale audience, indexing at a 111 among adults 18-49 living in homes with $100K+ incomes.

"Making It" (0.7/3 in 18-49, 3.5 million viewers overall from 10:01-11 p.m. ET) won the time period among ABC, CBS and NBC in every key demographic - adults, men and women 18-34; adults, men and women 18-49; and adults, men and women 25-54 -- with a +40% margin versus the ABC-CBS competition in adults 18-49 (0.7 vs. 0.5 for CBS' "NCIS: New Orleans" encore). L+3: "Making It" grew by +25% in 18-49 (0.69 to 0.89) and +615,000 viewers overall (3.5 million vs. 4.1 million) going from L+SD to L+3. Upscale: "Making It" generates a solid upscale audience, indexing at a 107 among adult 18-49 living in homes with $100K+ incomes. Among adults 18-49 with four or more years of college, "Making It" is indexing at a 114.

Wednesday

NBC won Wednesday night among the Big 4 networks in every key ratings measure (including a tie in men 18-49). It's the fourth consecutive Wednesday that NBC has won in both 18-49 and total viewers.

"America's Got Talent" (1.5/7 in 18-49, 9.9 million viewers overall from 8-9 p.m. ET) ranked as the #1 show of the night in total viewers by a margin of +4.4 million viewers or +79% (9.9 million vs. 5.5 million for #2 "Big Brother"), while maintaining 100% week to week in 18-49 (1.5 vs. 1.5) and is retaining 99.9% in total viewers (9.889 million vs. 9.903 million). "Talent" jumped +67% above NBC's summer average in the timeslot prior to "Talent" (1.5 vs. 0.9, L+SD) and +6.3 million persons or +175% in total viewers (9.9 million vs. 3.6 million). L+3: The Wednesday "Talent" grew by +19% in 18-49 (1.46 to 1.74) and more than +1.3 million viewers overall (9.9 million to 11.2 million) going from L+SD to L+3 Nielsens, for the night's biggest L+3 lift in total viewers.

"World of Dance" (1.1/5 in 18-49, 5.2 million viewers overall from 9-11 p.m. ET) finished #1 in its two-hour 9-11 p.m. timeslot in adults 18-49, adults 25-54 and total viewers. "World" grew for a second straight week in total viewers (5.172 million vs. 5.063 million on Aug. 29 and 5.053 million on Aug. 22) to the show's top total-viewer average since Aug. 1 (5.328 million from 8-10 p.m.). "World" maintained 100% week to week in 18-49 (1.1 vs. 1.1) and increased by +2% in total viewers (5.2 million vs. 5.1 million). L+3: "World" increased by +37% going from L+SD to L+3 in 18-49 (1.05 to 1.44) and +1.3 million viewers overall (5.2 million vs. 6.5 million). Upscale: "World of Dance" is generating a solid upscale audience, indexing at a 103 among adults 18-49 living in homes with $100K+ incomes.

Thursday

NBC Sports coverage of the ATLANTA Falcons-Philadelphia Eagles NFL Kickoff Game (6.7/29 in 18-49, 19.0 million viewers overall from 9 p.m. -12:04 a.m. ET) won the night in 18-49, total viewers and all other key measures, beating the Big 4 competition combined in every key category. The Eagles' weather-delayed 18-12 victory over the Falcons averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 19.5 million viewers across NBC TV, NBC Sports Digital, and NFL Digital platforms - MAKING IT the most-watched sporting event prior to Sunday's NFL coverage since the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, according to Nielsen and Adobe Analytics. It was also the third-most watched show of any kind prior to Sunday since the Winter Games (behind only THE ACADEMY AWARDS on March 34and "60 Minutes" on March 25). NBC's average of 19.0 million viewers overall more than doubled the combined primetime viewership on the other broadcast networks (9.4 million combined for ABC, CBS and Fox).

Friday

NBC finished #1 for the night among the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49, adults 25-54 and total viewers. It's the 11th time in 12 weeks NBC has ranked #1 or tied for #1 on a Friday night among the Big 4 in 18-49, as well as the fourth night in a row this week that NBC won in both measures.

The 8-9 p.m. ET special "Stand Up to Cancer" ran as sustaining programming and is not included in nightly or weekly averages.

"Dateline NBC" (0.7/4 in 18-49, 1.1 in adults 25-54, 4.4 million viewers overall from 9-11 p.m. ET) ranked as the #1 show of the night on the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49, adults 25-54 and total viewers, jumping +40% week to week in 18-49 (0.7 vs. 0.5 last week from 10-11 p.m.), +57% in 25-54 (1.1 vs. 0.7) and +1.5 million persons or +53% in total viewers (4.5 million vs. 2.9 million) to equal the show's highest Friday 18-49 rating since May 18 (0.8), match its best Friday 25-54 result since Dec. 29, 2017 (1.2) and deliver its most-watched Friday telecast since May 18 (4.6 million). From its first half-hour to its fourth, "Dateline" grew by +50% in 18-49 (0.6 to 0.9), +44% in 25-54 (0.9 to 1.3) and +1.2 million persons or +33% in total viewers (3.7 million to 4.9 million).Upscale: Friday's "Dateline" is delivering a solid upscale audience, indexing at a 114 among adults 18-49 in $100K+ homes.

Sunday

NBC Sports coverage of Chicago Bears-Green Bay Packers "Sunday Night Football" (7.5/29 in 18-49, 22.1 million viewers overall from 8:23-11:31 p.m. ET) won the night in all key ratings measures, matching or beating the combined nightlong averages of ABC, CBS and FOX in each key demo as well as total viewers. It's television's most-watched Sunday primetime telecast since THE ACADEMY AWARDS (26.6 million on March 4), slightly ahead of THE MARCH 24 "60 Minutes" (22.105 million vs. "SNF's" 22.117 million). The game's Total Audience Delivery of 22.5 million makes this the most-watched "Sunday Night Football" telecast since the year-ago Cowboys-Giants Sunday opener (24.7 million on Sept. 10, 2017).