NBC Wins Primetime Week of December 17 -23

With "Sunday Night Football" and "The Voice" accounting for the week's #1, 2 and 3 primetime programs on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in adults 18-49, NBC has won the season's 13th week in 18-49, total viewers and all other key ratings categories, according to "live plus same day" viewing data from Nielsen Media Research. NBC generated gains versus the same week last year of 14 percent in 18-49 and 13 percent in total viewers.

NBC has now ranked #1 or tied for #1 in 18-49 for 11 of the season's first 13 weeks.

Season to date, NBC is up 24 percent in 18-49, having moved from #4 at this point last year to #1 this year, and up 19 percent in total viewers. In total viewers, NBC is up versus one year ago by 20 percent (8.8 million vs. 7.4 million). NBC is ahead of its year-ago season average by double-digit percentages in every key ratings category.

NBC is #1 season to date in adults 18-49, marking the first time in nine years (since 2003) that NBC has been #1 at this point in the season. NBC's 3.1 season average is its highest rating at this point in the season in five years (since 2007). And NBC's lead of 0.3 of a rating point so far this season (3.1 vs. 2.8 for #2 CBS) matches the biggest for any network at this point in the season in 10 years (since NBC led by 0.7 of a point at this point in the 2002-03 season).

For the week, NBC programs accounted for the #1 primetime broadcast in every key demographic, with "Sunday Night Football" scoring as the #1 primetime show of the week on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in adults 18-49, adults 18-34, adults 25-54 and all key adult-male demos and Tuesday's "Voice" finale #1 in women 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54.

Among NBC's top-rated shows of the week in 18-49 were "Sunday Night Football, #1; Tuesday's "Voice" finale, #2; Monday's "Voice," #3; Tuesday's "Voice" encore, tied for #13; Monday's "1600 Penn" preview, #17; Wednesday's "Chicago Fire," #20; Wednesday's "Miss Universe Pageant," tied for #21; Thursday's "A White House Christmas: First Families Remember," tied for #25; and Monday's "Take It All" finale, tied for #28 (rankings exclude sports pre- and post-game shows).

"Sunday Night Football" has been the #1 primetime show of the week in adults 18-49 during all 16 weeks of the NFL season to date and has been #1 in total viewers for 14 of 16 weeks and the last eight in a row.

For the season to date, NBC's schedule features four of primetime's top eight programs on the broadcast nets ("Sunday Night Football," #1; Monday's "The Voice," #4; "Revolution" #5; and Tuesday's "The Voice," #8). NBC's schedule features the #1 show overall ("SNF"), the #1 drama on the broadcast networks and #1 new show ("Revolution"), the #1 new comedy ("Go On") and #1 Friday series ("Grimm") (sports pre- and post-game shows are excluded from these rankings).

Primetime averages for the week of December 17-23 in adults 18-49 are: NBC, 2.5/7; Fox, 2.0/6; CBS, 1.5/4; ABC, 1.1/3; and CW, 0.5/1. In overall total viewers, the weekly averages were: NBC, 8.1 million; CBS, 7.5 million; Fox, 5.6 million; ABC, 4.8 million; and CW, 1.4 million.

Season to date averages through eight weeks are: NBC, 3.1/9; CBS, 2.8/8; Fox, 2.4/7; ABC, 2.4/7; and CW, 0.8/2. In overall total viewers, the season averages are: CBS, 11.6 million; NBC, 8.8 million; ABC, 8.5 million; Fox, 6.7 million; and CW, 1.9 million.

NBC highlights for the week of December 17-23

Monday: The final Monday competition episode of "The Voice" (4.2 rating, 11 share in adults 18-49, 13.4 million viewers overall) was the #1 show of the night in adults 18-49 and total viewers with the show's biggest overall Monday audience since September 17. Versus the final Monday competition show of the prior cycle, "The Voice" was up 11 percent in 18-49 rating (with a 4.2 vs. a 3.8 on May 7) and up 8 percent in total viewers (13.4 million vs. 12.3 million).

Also on Monday, a preview of "1600 Penn" (2.2/6 in 18-49, 6.9 million viewers overall) got solid sampling, ranking #2 among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in the half-hour in adults 18-49, total viewers and all other key categories except men 18-34, where "1600 Penn" tied for #1.

From 10:01-11 p.m. ET that night, the finale of "Take It All" (1.5/4 in 18-49, 4.5 million viewers overall) grew 36 percent versus its prior telecast on the prior Friday in 18-49 (with a 1.5 rating vs. a 1.1). It was the top-rated "Take It All" since the prior Tuesday and the highest-rated episode that did not benefit from a direct lead-in from "The Voice."

Tuesday: "The Voice" (4.9/13 in 18-49, 14.1 million viewers overall) set records for a finale episode in adults 18-49 and total viewers, improving on the prior finale by 11 percent in 18-49 (with a 4.9 rating vs. a 4.4) and by 18 percent in total viewers (14.1 million vs. 11.9 million). "The Voice" finale hit season-high results for the series in 18-49 and total viewers and earned the top "Voice" numbers since Monday, March 12, 2012. "The Voice" won the time period among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in all key categories and delivered a winning margin of 113 percent over CBS's second-place dramas in 18-49 (4.9 vs. 2.3).

Tuesday from 8-9 p.m. ET, an encore of "The Voice" (2.4/7 in 18-49, 8.1 million viewers overall) hit a series high in 18-49 for a rebroadcast.

NBC averaged 12.1 million viewers on the night, NBC's top in-season Tuesday with entertainment programming in nearly six years (since January 2, 2007).

Wednesday: "Miss Universe 2012" (1.8/5 in 18-49, 6.1 million viewers overall) grew by 13 percent versus last year's telecast in 18-49 rating (to a 1.8 from a 1.6) and was up 15 percent in total viewers (6.1 million vs. 5.3 million). In total viewers, this is the biggest "Miss Universe" audience in four years (since 2008, 6.7 million).

"Chicago Fire" (1.9/6 in adults 18-49, 6.7 million viewers overall) jumped 36 percent week to week (to a 1.9 from a 1.4) to match the show's second-highest rating ever. The only higher-rated "Chicago Fire" was the November 7 telecast (2.2), which followed a special Wednesday edition of "The Voice." In total viewers, "Chicago Hope" was up week-to week by 35 percent or 1.7 million persons (6.6 million vs. 4.9 million). "Chicago Fire" won the time period in adults 18-49, adults 25-54, total viewers and other key measures.

Thursday: "A White House Christmas: First Families Remember" (1.6/5 in 18-49, 8.3 million viewers overall) earned NBC's highest 18-49 and total-viewer results in the Thursday 8-9 p.m. ET time period since an NFL telecast on November 22.

Friday: An encore telecast of "Blake Shelton's Not So Family Christmas" (0.9/3 in 18-49, 5.0 million viewers overall) tied for #1 in the time period among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in adults 18-49 and was #1 outright in total viewers. It was NBC's biggest overall audience in the Friday 8-9 p.m. ET slot since October 26.

Saturday: An encore telecast of "Saturday Night Live," hosted by Martin Short and featuring musical guest Paul McCartney (0.9/3 in 18-49, 2.7 million viewers overall) ranked #1 in the time period among ABC, CBS and NBC in adults 18-49 and tied for #1 for the night among those networks. .

Sunday: 49ers-Seahawks "Sunday Night Football" (6.7/20 in 18-49, 19.5 million viewers overall, 11.4/20 in households) led Sunday night among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in every key ratings category: adults, men and women 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54, plus total viewers.

Ratings reflect "live plus same day" data from Nielsen Media Research unless otherwise noted. Season-to-date figures are averages of "live plus seven day" data except for the two most recent weeks, which are "live plus same day."

WEEKLY AVERAGES
Average rating, share and audience in each category

ADULTS 18-49

NBC 2.5/7, 3.1 million

Fox 2.0/6, 2.5 million

CBS 1.5/4, 1.9 million

ABC 1.1/3, 1.5 million

CW 0.5/1, 0.6 million

Each rating point equals 1.27 million viewers

ADULTS 25-54

NBC 3.0/8, 3.6 million

Fox 2.2/6, 2.7 million

CBS 2.0/5, 2.4 million

ABC 1.5/4, 1.8 million

CW 0.5/1, 0.6 million

Each rating point equals 1.19 million viewers

TOTAL VIEWERS

NBC 2.8/7, 8.1 million

CBS 2.6/7, 7.5 million

Fox 1.9/5, 5.6 million

ABC 1.7/4, 4.8 million

CW 0.5/1, 1.4 million

Each rating point equals 2.89 million viewers

2012-13 SEASON AVERAGES
Average rating, share and audience in each category

ADULTS 18-49

NBC 3.1/9, 3.9 million

CBS 2.8/8, 3.6 million

Fox 2.4/7, 3.1 million

ABC 2.4/7, 3.1 million

CW 0.8/2, 1.0 million

Each rating point equals 1.27 million viewers

ADULTS 25-54

CBS 3.7/9, 4.4 million

NBC 3.7/9, 4.3 million

ABC 3.0/7, 3.6 million

Fox 2.7/7, 3.2 million

CW 0.8/2, 1.0 million

Each rating point equals 1.19 million viewers

TOTAL VIEWERS

CBS 4.0/10, 11.6 million

NBC 3.1/8, 8.8 million

ABC 2.9/7, 8.5 million.

Fox 2.3/6, 6.7 million

CW 0.7/2, 1.9 million

Each rating point equals 2.89 million viewers