NBC Finishes #2 for 52-Week Broadcast Year

NBC is completing the 2012-13 52-week Broadcast Year #2 in viewers 18-49, marking the first time NBC has beaten FOX or ABC in a year with no boost from the Super Bowl or Olympics since 2002-03.

In adults 18-49 rating, NBC is finishing the 2012-13 year within 0.3 of a point of #1 CBS, which was boosted by February's Super Bowl, easily the top-rated telecast of the past 12 months, according to "most current" averages from Nielsen Media Research through Wednesday of week 51 for the 52-week year.

Excluding the night of the Super Bowl from the averages, NBC rounds to a tie with CBS for #1 in adult 18-49 rating for the 2012-13 Broadcast Year (2.2 each).

While NBC leads FOX and ABC for the broadcast year in viewers 18-49, in adult 18-49 rating, NBC and FOX are currently rounding to the same 2.1 rating for the year and are tied for #2, with four nights left to count in the averages.

Excluding nights of the Super Bowl and Olympics over the past two broadcast years, NBC is the only network to maintain its 18-49 rating year to year, with a 2.2 both years. Excluding those nights, CBS is down 12% year to year (to a 2.2 from a 2.5), FOX is down 25% (2.1 vs. 2.8) and ABC is down 9% (2.0 vs. 2.2). In total viewers, NBC also has the best comparisons year to year when Super Bowl and Olympic nights are excluded: NBC, down 1% (6.664 million vs. 6.700 million); CBS, down 5% (9.6 million vs. 10.1 million); ABC, down 6% (7.0 million vs. 7.5 million); and FOX down 23% (6.0 million vs. 7.8 million).

For the broadcast year that started September 24, 2012 and will conclude September 22, 2013, NBC also ranks #2 among ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX in adult 18-34 rating and adult 25-54 rating in averages through September 18.

In the key adult 18-49 demographic, with one week left to count, NBC has won 21 weeks over the course of the broadcast year among ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX in 18-49 rating (including four ties), the most among those networks, with CBS at 16 wins (including four ties), FOX at 14 (three ties) and ABC at seven wins (one tie).

NBC's schedule for the year was led by the #1 Primetime series overall in adults 18-49, "Sunday Night Football." "The Voice" ranked as the year's #1 entertainment series and is the #2 series overall behind only "Sunday Night Football" (excluding sports pre- and post-game shows). This marks the first time in 10 years, since the 2002-03 year, that Fox's "American Idol" has not finished as the #1 entertainment series.

2012-13 Broadcast Year Through Sept. 18, 2013, 18-49 Viewers, "Most Current"

Net...18-49 Viewers

CBS...2.997 million adults 18-49

NBC...2.715 million adults 18-49

Fox...2.710 million adults 18-49

ABC...2.508 million adults 18-49

2012-13 Broadcast Year Through Sept. 18, 2013, 18-49 Rating, "Most Current"

Net...18-49 Rating

CBS...2.4

NBC...2.1

Fox...2.1

ABC...2.0

2012-13 Broadcast Year Through Sept. 18, 2013, Total Viewers, "Most Current"

Net...Total Viewers

CBS...9.951 million

ABC...6.985 million

NBC...6.647 million

Fox...5.997 million

Excluding Super Bowl Sunday, 2012-13 Broadcast Year Through Sept. 18, 2013, 18-49 Rating, "Most Current"

Net...18-49 Rating

CBS...2.2

NBC...2.2

Fox...2.1

ABC...2.0

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