NBC Posts Best May Sweep Ratings in 9 Years

NBC has delivered its most successful May sweep in nine years, finishing within just 0.1 of a rating point of #1 after finishing 0.8 of a point out of first in May 2012 and 1.3 points out of #1 two years ago ("live plus same day").

For the period April 25-May 22, NBC earned a 1.7 rating in the 18-49 demo. That was up 6 percent versus May 2012 while ABC, CBS and FOX (each at a 1.8 rating) are all down by double-digit percentages.

It's the first time in nine years NBC is finishing a May sweep within less than 0.8 of a rating point of first place.

NBC was also the only Big 4 network to see an increase in total viewers for the May sweep. The network averaged 5.458 million viewers overall, which was third place among the Big 4 networks and up 2% from a year ago. CBS and ABC were down 8 percent and FOX fell 27 percent.

The Monday edition of "The Voice" (3.9, L+SD) is the #2 Primetime series on the broadcast networks for the May sweep in adults 18-49 and the #1 reality series. Tuesday's "Voice" (3.7) was the #3 Primetime series and #2 reality series. Monday's "Voice" was also the #1 series in women 18-34 and teens 12-17.

NBC is up this May versus last on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, by 10 percent on Mondaynights (to a 3.2 rating from last season's 2.9, boosted by "The Voice" and "Revolution"), 4 percent on Tuesdaynights (2.8 vs. 2.7, led by "The Voice" and "Grimm"), 21 percent on Wednesday nights (1.7 vs. 1.4, thanks to "Law & Order: SVU" and "Chicago Fire") and 23 percent on Thursdays (1.6 vs. 1.3, boosted by the series finale of "The Office").

NBC series that have grown this May versus last May in 18-49 include Sunday's "Rock Center with Brian Williams" (+38%, 1.1 vs. 0.8, L+SD), Monday's "The Voice" (+5%, 3.9 vs. 3.7) and "Grimm" (+21%, 1.7 vs. 1.4).

May Sweep Adults 18-49 vs. May 2012, Live Plus Same Day
Net...May 2012... May 2013...Difference
NBC...1.6...1.7...Up 6%
CBS...2.0...1.8...Down 10%
ABC...2.1...1.8...Down 14%
Fox...2.4...1.8...Down 25%

May Sweep Total Viewers vs. May 2012, Live Plus Same Day
Net...May 2012... May 2013...Difference
NBC... 5.336 million ...5.458 million...Up 2%
CBS...9.527 million...8.727 million...Down 8%
ABC...7.764 million ...7.116 million...Down 8%
Fox...7.480 million ...5.443 million...Down 27%

As for the entire 2012-13 Primetime TV season, NBC ran within a tenth of a rating point of second place in adults 18-49, the network's most competitive position at the end of a season in nine years.

NBC has finished the season within a tenth of a point of #2 Fox, a dramatic improvement versus one year ago, when, even with the boost of the Super Bowl, NBC trailed then-#1 FOX by 0.7 of a point and #2 CBS by 0.5 of a point.

Excluding Olympic years, this is the first time since the 2005-06 season that a network has followed up a Super Bowl season with an 18-49 decline of just 0.1 of a rating point. NBC also finished down just a tenth during the 2009-10 season, the year after carrying the Super Bowl, but had Olympic help that season. Every other network that's carried a Super Bowl over the last seven years has declined The Following season by at least 0.3 of a rating point The Following season. In 2005-06, FOX broke even the year after carrying the Super Bowl and is the last network to do so.

NBC is #3 for the 2012-13 season and ahead of ABC outright for the first time in the nine years since NBC won the 2003-04 season. NBC tied ABC for #3 last season with help from the Super Bowl (rounding to a tie in "live plus seven day" ratings after edging ABC in initial "most current" results) and NBC also tied ABC for #3 during 2009-10 season with Olympic help. Note that this year, NBC is cleanly rating ahead of ABC with no Super Bowl or Olympic boost.

In the nine years since NBC won the 2003-04 season, the closest NBC had come to #2 before this season was five years ago, when the network finished 0.2 of a point behind the second-place tie of ABC and CBS during the strike season of 2007-08 (with a 2.8 vs. a 3.0 for ABC and CBS). Excluding the strike season, NBC hasn't finished closer than 0.4 of a point to second place over the last nine seasons.

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