NBC Rules The 8/13-8/19 Week With TALENT, WORLD OF DANCE, & NINJA Accounting For 4 Of The Top 10

NBC has claimed the primetime ratings week of Aug. 13-19 in every key ratings measure, paced by four top-10 rankings in both 18-49 and total viewers from "America's Got Talent," "World of Dance" and "American Ninja Warrior," according to "live plus same day" figures from Nielsen Media Research.

"Talent" claimed the top two spots for the week in total viewers, as well as kids 2-11, teens 12-17 and adults, men and women 25-54. The Tuesday telecast earned a 2.1 rating in adults 18-49, matching the highest result on broadcast or cable in eight weeks, since the June 19 "Talent" reported a 2.2.

This is the 10th week in a row NBC has ranked #1 or tied for #1 in 18-49 and the network's seventh consecutive weeklong win in total viewers. NBC took the week among the Big 4 networks in every key ratings measure, including a tie in women 18-34.

In adults 18-49, the Tuesday edition of "America's Got Talent" remained #1 among all primetime Big 4 telecasts, with the Wednesday "Talent" finishing #5, Wednesday's "World of Dance" ranking #7, Monday's "American Ninja Warrior" tying for #8, Tuesday's "Making It" tying for #11 and Monday's "Dateline NBC" tying for #14.

The broad-based hit "America's Got Talent" ranked #1-2 for the week in total viewers over all primetime programs on broadcast and cable, with a margin over the #3 show of +3.6 million viewers (9.9 million for Wednesday's "Talent" vs. 6.3 million for CBS' #3 encore of "60 Minutes"). "Talent" also ranked #1 for the week on the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49, adults 25-54, adults 50-and-older, teens 12-17 and kids 2-11.

In adults 18-49, NBC is dominating the current primetime season, with a lead over #2 ABC of +0.5 of a rating point or +36% (1.9 vs. 1.4). The +36% advantage ties as the best for any #1 network at this point in the season in the history of Nielsen's current people-meter sample, which dates back to the fall of 1987.

Season to date, NBC also ranks #1 among ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX in every other key demographic - adults, men and women 18-34; men and women 18-49; and adults, men and women 25-54. In total viewers, NBC is running within 44,000 persons of #1, NBC's most competitive position at this point in the season in 16 years, since 2001-02. Even excluding all sports, NBC is running closer to CBS at this point in the season in total viewers than it's been in 15 years (currently within 1.191 million total viewers of CBS excluding sports, best since the gap was 578,000 in 2002-03).

Counting entertainment programming only, NBC ranks #1 for the season in adults 18-49 and adults 25-54 and is #1 or tied for #1 men 18-49, women 18-49 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 47 Averages

Adult 18-49 Rating, "live plus same day," Aug. 13-19

NBC...0.8

ABC...0.6

CBS...0.6

Fox...0.5

CW...0.2

Total Viewers

NBC...4.4 million

CBS...3.6 million

ABC...3.2 million

Fox...1.6 million

CW...0.8 million

Season-to-Date Averages

Adult 18-49 Rating, "Most Current"

NBC...1.9

ABC...1.4

CBS...1.3

Fox...1.3

CW...0.5

Total Viewers

CBS...8.0 million

NBC...7.9 million

ABC...5.6 million

Fox...4.3 million

CW...1.6 million

NBC highlights for the week of Aug. 13-19:

Monday

NBC ranked #1 for the night among the Big 4 networks in total viewers.

From 8-10 p.m., "American Ninja Warrior" (1.0/5 in 18-49, 5.1 million viewers overall from 8-10 p.m. ET) led the night as Monday's #1 most-watched telecast, growing +4% in total viewers versus the prior Monday (5.1 million vs. 5.0 million) while retaining 100% in 18-49 (1.0 vs. 1.0).

"Live Plus Three Day" Ratings: "Ninja" increased by +16% in 18-49 (from a 1.01 rating to a 1.17) and +513,000 viewers overall (5.1 million to 5.6 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).

From 10-11 p.m., "Dateline NBC" (0.8/4 in 18-49, 1.2 in 25-54, 4.4 million viewers overall from 10-11 p.m. ET) won the timeslot among ABC, CBS and NBC in 18-49, 25-54 and total view. Versus the prior Monday, "Dateline" grew +14% in 18.49 (0.8 vs. 0.7), +9% in 25-54 (1.2 vs. 1.1) and +8% in total viewers (4.380 million vs. 4.038 million). L+3: "Dateline" increased by +24% in 18-49 going from L+SD to L+3 (0.80 to 0.99) and +931,000 viewers overall (4.4 million to 5.3 million). Upscale: Monday's "Dateline" generates a solid upscale audience, indexing at a 108 among adult 18-49 living in homes with $100K+ incomes (with 100 representing an average concentration of those homes).

Tuesday

NBC ranked #1 Tuesday night versus the Big 4 competition in adults 18-49, total viewers and every other key measure, winning six of six half-hours in adults 18-49.

"America's Got Talent" (2.1/10 in 18-49, 11.1 million viewers overall from 8-10:01 p.m. ET): equaled television's #1 adult 18-49 rating since the June 19 "Talent" of eight weeks earlier (2.2) and ranked as the #1 show of the night on the Big 4 networks in 18-49, total viewers and all other key measures. "Talent" equaled the timeslot's combined Big 4 competition in 18-49 rating (2.1 vs. a combined 2.1) and beats it in total viewers (11.1 million vs. a combined 10.5 million), while more than doubling the time period's #2 program in 18-49, ABC's "Bachelor in Paradise" (2.1 vs. 1.0). "Talent" grew +11% week to week in 18-49 rating (2.1 vs. 1.9) and 1% in total viewers (11.1 million vs. 11.0 million). L+3: "Talent" increased by +25% in 18-49 (2.06 to 2.58) and +2.1 million viewers overall (11.1 million to 13.2 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" (0.9/4 in 18-49, 3.8 million viewers overall from 10:01-11 p.m. ET) retained 100% week to week in 18-49 (0.9 vs. 0.9) and won the timeslot among ABC, CBS and NBC in every key demographic. "Making It" dominated the ABC-CBS-NBC competition in the timeslot, topping ABC's rival original series "Castaways," by an +80% margin in 18-49 (0.9 vs. 0.5). This is the #1 most-watched Week 3 episode of any new summer series so far this year on the Big 4 networks (topping the previous Week 3 high of "Gordon Ramsay's 24 Hours to Hell & Back" on June 27, 3.5 million). L+3: "Making It" grew by +22% in 18-49 (0.94 to 1.15) and +682,000 viewers overall (3.8 million vs. 4.5 million) going from L+SD to L+3. Upscale: "Making It" generates a solid upscale audience, indexing at a 111 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 117.

Wednesday

NBC won Wednesday night by a +20% margin in 18-49 (1.2 vs. 1.0 for #2 Fox) and by +2.9 million persons or +75% in total viewers (6.7 million vs. 3.8 million for #2 CBS).

"America's Got Talent" (1.5/8 in 18-49, 9.9 million viewers overall from 8-9 p.m. ET) equaled NBC's strongest 18-49 rating in the timeslot, excluding Olympics, since Nov. 29, 2017 (1.7 with "Christmas in Rockefeller Center"), while delivering NBC's top non-Olympic total-viewer result in the time period since Sept. 20, 2017 (15.0 million with last summer's "Talent" finale). "Talent" won the timeslot in total viewers by a margin of +69% or more than +4.0 million persons over "Big Brother" (9.9 million vs. 5.8 million), while jumping +67% above NBC's summer-to-date average in the timeslot in 18-49 (1.5 vs. 0.9, L+SD) and +6.3 million persons or +174% in total viewers (9.9 million vs. 3.6 million). L+3: The Wednesday "Talent" grew by +21% in 18-49 (1.54 to 1.86) and +1.5 million viewers overall (9.9 million to 11.4 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, 5.1 million viewers overall from 9-11 p.m. ET) won its two-hour 9-11 p.m. timeslot among the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49, total viewers and all other key measures (including a 9-10 p.m. tie with FOX in men 18-49). "World" matched NBC's highest 18-49 rating in the timeslot since May 23 (1.2 with the "SVU" season finale) and scored the network's best total-viewer result in the time period, excluding "Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular," since that same date (6.1 million). "World" maintained 100% week to week in 18-49 (1.1 vs. 1.1 last week from 8-10 p.m.) and increased by +8% in total viewers (5.1 million vs. 4.8 million). L+3: "World" increased by +32% going from L+SD to L+3 in 18-49 (1.09 to 1.44) and +1.2 million viewers overall (5.1 million vs. 6.3 million).

Thursday

An encore telecast of "Ellen's Game of Games" (0.7/4 in 18-49, 3.4 million viewers overall from 8-9 p.m. ET) increased by +0.1 of a point or +17% versus the show's previous rebroadcast in this hour in 18-49 (0.7 vs. 0.6 on July 26). The "Games" rebroadcast ranked #2 in the 8-9 p.m. hour among the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49.

"Trial & Error: Lady, Killer" (0.5/2 in 18-49, 2.2 million viewers overall from 9-9:30 p.m. ET; 0.4/2 in 18-49, 1.7 million viewers overall from 9:30-10 p.m. ET) hit three-week highs with its 9 p.m. telecast in 18-49 and total viewers, best since the show's season premiere on July 19 (0.6 in 18-49, 3.2 million viewers overall). Week to week, the 9 p.m. episode was up +25% in 18-49 (0.5 vs. 0.4) and up +12% in total viewers (2.2 million vs. 1.9 million). The 9:30 telecast grew by +33% week to week in 18-49 (0.4 vs. 0.3) and +22% in total viewers (1.732 million vs. 1.417 million). L+3: The 9 p.m. "Trial & Error" grew by +24% in 18-49 going from L+SD to L+3 (0.50 to 0.62) and +401,000 viewers overall (2.2 million to 2.6 million). The 9:30 "Trial" increased by +41% in 18-49 (0.37 to 0.52) and +417,000 viewers overall (1.7 million to 2.1 million) going from L+SD to L+3.Upscale: "Trial & Error" is generating a strong upscale audience, with the 9 p.m. edition indexing at a 106 among adults 18-49 living in homes with $100K+ incomes. Among adults 18-49 with four or more years of college, the 9 p.m. "Trial & Error" is indexing at a 127.

An encore telecast of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (0.5/2 in 18-49, 2.6 million viewers overall from 10-11 p.m. ET) won the hour among ABC, CBS and NBC in 18-49, 25-54 and total viewers, while maintaining 100% of the prior week's encore in this timeslot in 18-49 (0.5 vs. 0.5) and growing +7% in total viewers (2.6 million vs. 2.4 million). This was the most-watched "SVU" encore among nine aired so far this summer in the Thursday 10 p.m. timeslot.

Friday

NBC tied for #1 for the night among the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49. It's the ninth Friday in a row NBC has ranked #1 or tied for #1 among those nets in 18-49.

An encore telecast of "American Ninja Warrior" averaged a 0.4/2 in 18-49 and 2.1 million viewers overall from 8-10 p.m. ET.

A rebroadcast of "Dateline NBC" (0.6/3 in 18-49, 0.8 in adults 25-54, 3.3 million viewers overall from 10-11 p.m. ET) ranked as the night's #1 telecast on the Big 4 networks in 18-49 and tied as the #1 show in 25-54. L+3: The prior Friday's "Dateline" increased by +20% in 18-49 (0.51 to 0.61) and +627,000 viewers overall (2.8 million to 3.4 million) going from L+SD to L+3 Nielsens, for the biggest L+3 lifts of the night on the Big 4 in 18-49 rating and percentage, as well as total viewers. Upscale: Friday's "Dateline" is delivering a solid upscale audience, indexing at a 114 among adults 18-49 in $100K+ homes.

Saturday

NBC ranked #1 in primetime among the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49 and total viewers.

An encore telecast of "Ameica's Got Talent" (0.4/2 in 18-49, 2.1 million viewers overall from 8-10 p.m. ET) won the timeslot among the Big 4 networks in 18-49 and total viewers.

"Dateline Saturday Night Mystery" (0.5/2 in 18-49, 0.6 in 25-54, 2.4 million viewers overall from 10-11 p.m. ET) ranked as primetime's #1 telecast on the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49, adults 25-54 and total viewers. "Dateline Mystery" grew week to week in 18-49 (0.5 vs. 0.4) to match its highest 18-49 rating since Jan. 13 (0.6). Upscale: "Dateline Mystery" is generating a solid upscale audience, indexing at a 112 among adults 18-49 living in homes with $100K+ incomes (with 100 representing an average concentration of those homes)

Sunday

"Dateline NBC" (0.5/3 in 18-49, 0.8 in 25-54, 4.1 million viewers overall from 7-8 p.m. ET) maintained 100 % of the show's previous Sunday original in 18-49 (0.5 vs. 0.5 on June 24) and 25-54 (0.8 vs. 0.8) and grew +17% in total viewers (4.1 million vs. 3.5 million). "Dateline" grew half-hour to half-hour in adults 18-49 and 25-54. Upscale: Sunday's "Dateline" is indexing at a 122 among adults 18-49 living in homes with $100K+ incomes (with 100 representing an average concentration of those homes).

NBC Sports coverage of the "U.S. Gymnastics Championships" (0.6/3 in 18-49, 3.1 million viewers overall from 8-10 p.m. ET) retained 100% of last year's comparable coverage in 18-49 rating (0.6 vs. 0.6 from 7-9 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 20, 2017) and increased by +7% in total viewers (3.1 million vs. 2.9 million). The coverage increased by +40% from its first half-hour to its fourth in 18-49 rating (0.5 to 0.7).

"Shades of Blue" (0.6/3 in 18-49, 3.2 million viewers overall from 10-11 p.m. ET) matched the show's season high in 18-49 rating (0.6), to tie for #1 in the timeslot among ABC, CBS and NBC. "Shades" maintained 100% week to week in 18-49 (0.6 vs. 0.6) and 99.6% in total viewers (3.208 million vs. 3.221 million). The "Shades" finale was up +18% versus NBC's timeslot average last summer in total viewers (3.2 million vs. 2.7 million, L+SD excluding sports). L+3: The prior week's "Shades of Blue" increased by +52% in 18-49 (0.56 to 0.85) and +1.7 million viewers overall (3.2 million to 4.9 million) going from L+SD to L+3 Nielsens. The 18-49 gain of +0.29 of a rating point is the biggest L+3 lift of the night on the Big 4 networks.

To post a comment, you must register and login.