NFL FOOTBALL LEADS NBC to Top-Rated Week

NBC has dominated the Primetime ratings week of September 2-8, led by big Thursday and Sunday NFL season-opening telecasts of NBC Sports' "Sunday Night Football," which propelled NBC to the highest adult 18-49 weekly average for any network in seven months and biggest week in total viewers in nearly five months. According to "live plus same day" viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research, NBC finished the week with an average 3.5 rating, 11 share in adults 18-49 and 10.0 million viewers overall.

For the week, NBC also ranked #1 among ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX in adults 25-54, adults 18-34 and all other key ratings categories. The special Thursday "NFL Kickoff" coverage and the Sunday debut of "Sunday Night Football" generated the #1 and #2 Primetime ratings of the week on ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX in every key category - adults, men and women 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54, plus total viewers.

NBC's 3.5 rating for the week is the highest for any network since CBS earned an 8.9 January 28-February 3, the week of the Super Bowl. NBC's 10.0 million viewers overall for the week in the highest for any network since CBS averaged 10.8 million during the week of April 8-14.

Top-rated NBC Primetime shows for the week of September 2-8 in adults 18-49 include the Thursday and Sunday editions of "Sunday Night Football" (#1 and #2 respectively), the Tuesday and Wednesday editions "America's Got Talent" (#6 and tied for #7 respectively), Monday's "American Ninja Warrior" (tied for #12), Wednesday's "Talent" encore (tied for #18) and Friday's "Dateline NBC" (tied for #24). Rankings exclude sports pre- and post-game shows.

Tuesday's "America's Got Talent" was the #1 non-sports telecast of the Primetime week on ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX in teens 12-17 and the Wednesday edition was the #2 entertainment telecast on those nets in total viewers.

Primetime averages for the week of September 2-8 in adults 18-49 are: NBC, 3.5/11; Fox, 1.8/5; CBS, 1.2/4; ABC, 1.0/3; and CW, 0.3/1. In overall total viewers, the weekly averages were: NBC, 10.0 million; CBS, 5.7 million; Fox, 4.9 million; ABC, 4.2 million; and CW, 0.9 million.

Averages for the 2012-13 Broadcast Year to date are: CBS, 2.4/7; Fox, 2.1/6; NBC, 2.1/6; ABC, 2.0/6; and CW, 0.6/2. In overall total viewers, the season averages are: CBS, 10.0 million; ABC, 7.0 million; NBC, 6.6 million; Fox, 6.0 million; and CW, 1.5 million.

For the 2012-13 broadcast year to date, NBC is tied for #2 in adults 18-49 and within 0.3 of a point of the #1 rating of Super Bowl-boosted CBS. NBC is also running #2 outright among ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX in adults 25-54 and adults 18-34, and that's without boosts from the Super Bowl or Olympics, both of which NBC enjoyed during the prior broadcast year.

NBC highlights for the week of September 2-8:

Monday: "American Ninja Warrior" (1.8 rating, 5 share in adults 18-49, 5.6 million viewers overall from 8-10:01 p.m. ET) hit a new season high in 18-49 rating, despite the Labor Day holiday. Week to week, "Ninja Warrior" was up 6% in 18-49 rating (to a 1.8 from 8-10 p.m. this week vs. a 1.7 the prior week from 8-9) and versus two weeks earlier, the increase was 20% (1.8 vs. 1.5). "American Ninja Warrior" won the 8-10 p.m. time period 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.

Tuesday: NBC ranked #1 for the night in adults 18-49 and total viewers, led by the #1 show of the night, "America's Got Talent"(2.4/7 in 18-49, 9.2 million viewers overall from 9-11 p.m. ET). "Talent" topped the #2 telecast on the Big 4 in 18-49 by a 71% margin (with a 2.4 from 9-11 p.m. vs. the 1.4 from 8-10 for Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance").

"America's Got Talent" achieved a three-week high in 18-49, up 9% week to week (2.4 vs. 2.2) for its best rating since August 13. In total viewers, "Talent" earned a four-week high, up 5% versus the prior week (9.2 million vs. 8.7 million) for its biggest overall audience since August 6.

An encore telecast of "Hollywood Game Night" (1.1/4 in 18-49, 3.4 million viewers overall from 8-9 p.m. ET) hit three-week highs in this time period in 18-49 and total viewers, with gains versus the prior week of 10% in both 18-49 rating (1.1 vs. 1.0) and total viewers (3.4 million vs. 3.1 million).

Wednesday: Delivering four-week highs, the Wednesday edition of "America's Got Talent" (2.3/7 in 18-49, 10.0 million viewers overall from 9-10:01 p.m. ET) ranked as the #1 show of the night on ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX in adults 18-49 (tied with "Big Brother") and total viewers, leading NBC to the nightlong win in total viewers. "Talent" was up versus the prior week in 18-49 by 5% (2.3 vs. 2.2) and up versus the week before that by 10% (2.3 vs. 2.1). "Talent" ranked #1 in the time period among ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX in adults 18-49 and all other key measures.

"Camp" (0.9/3 in adults 18-49, 3.2 million viewers overall from 10:01-11 p.m. ET) maintained its 18-49 rating of the prior three weeks. In its first nine weeks, "Camp" has earned NBC's top nine 18-49 ratings in the slot, excluding Stanley Cup Hockey coverage, since May 22

An encore recap edition of "America's Got Talent" (1.4/5 in 18-49, 6.2 million viewers overall from 8-9 p.m. ET) generated four-week highs in this time period in 18-49 and total viewers.

Thursday: Despite a 33-minute weather delay that pushed kickoff past 9 p.m. ET and a one-sided 49-27 final score, NBC Sports' coverage of the Baltimore Ravens-Denver Broncos "NFL Kickoff" game (10.3/31 in 18-49, 25.1 million viewers overall from 9:08 p.m.-12:25 a.m. ET) grew versus last year's "NFL Kickoff" by 6% in 18-49 rating (10.3 vs. 0.7) and 5% in total viewers (25.1 million vs. 23.9 million). These are the #3 results in 18-49 and total viewers among the 12 "NFL Kickoff" games since the special Primetime season openers were initiated in 2002.

NBC's 8-11 p.m. ET Primetime average Thursday night more than doubled the averages for ABC, CBS and FOX combined, according to official national averages for those networks (22.8 million viewers for NBC vs. 11.2 million combined for ABC, CBS and Fox). In 18-49, NBC's 8-11 p.m. average nearly tripled the night's Primetime results for ABC, CBS and FOX combined (9.0 for NBC vs. a combined 3.1). NBC's 9.0 in the Adult 18-49 demo is the top Primetime average for any network on a Thursday night since August 2, 2012 during NBC's coverage of the London Olympics.

Friday: NBC ranked #1 in Friday night among ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX in adults 18-49, adults 25-54 and total viewers with the #1 show of the night on those nets in all three categories, "Dateline NBC" (1.2/4 in 18-49, 5.0 million viewers overall from 9-11 p.m. ET). "Dateline" jumped 20% week to week in 18-49 rating to its best result since August 16.

Encore telecast of "Betty White's Off Their Rockers" (0.8/3 in 18-49, 3.4 million viewers overall at 8 p.m. ET; 1.0/4 in 18-49, 3.7 million viewers overall at 8:30) captured NBC's top 18-49 and total-viewer results in those time period in 10 weeks (since June 28, "Dateline NBC"). In each half-hour, "Off Their Rockers" was #1 among ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX in 18-49.

Sunday: The Sunday season debut of "NBC Sunday Night Football" (10.0/27 in 18-49, 25.4 million viewers overall from 8:31-11:44 p.m. ET) scored the #7 rating ever for an NBC "Sunday Night Football" telecast in 18-49 among 125 games aired to date, as well as the #9 total-viewer result. Among seven total Cowboys-Giants matchups NBC has televised on "Sunday Night Football," this week's telecast is #1 in 18-49 and #2 in total viewers.

It's the fourth straight year NBC's Sunday Opener has earned more than 25 million viewers and a 15.0 household rating or higher, and the third straight year it's achieved a 10.0 or higher in 18-49.

The New York Giants-Dallas Cowboys matchup propelled NBC to a decisive Sunday win in all key measures. For the night (from 7:30-11 p.m. ET), NBC averaged an 8.2/22 in 18-49 and 21.1 million viewers overall, making it the top Sunday Primetime performance for any network in both 18-49 and total viewers since ABC's coverage of The Academy Awards on February 24.

WEEKLY AVERAGES
Average rating, share and audience in each category

ADULTS 18-49

NBC 3.5/11, 4.4 million

Fox 1.8/5, 2.3 million

CBS 1.2/4, 1.6 million

ABC 1.0/3, 1.3 million

CW 0.3/1, 0.4 million

Each rating point equals 1.27 million viewers

ADULTS 25-54

NBC 3.9/10, 4.7 million

Fox 2.0/5, 2.4 million

CBS 1.7/5, 2.0 million

ABC 1.4/4, 1.6 million

CW 0.3/1, 0.4 million

Each rating point equals 1.20 million viewers

TOTAL VIEWERS

NBC 3.4/9, 10.0 million

CBS 1.9/5, 5.7 million

Fox 1.7/4, 4.9 million

ABC 1.4/4, 4.2 million

CW 0.3/1, 0.9 million

Each rating point equals 2.95 million viewers

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

ADULTS 18-49

CBS 2.4/7, 3.0 million

Fox 2.1/6, 2.7 million

NBC 2.1/6, 2.7 million

ABC 2.0/6, 2.5 million

CW 0.6/2, 0.8 million

Each rating point equals 1.27 million viewers

ADULTS 25-54

CBS 3.1/8, 3.8 million

NBC 2.6/7, 3.1 million

ABC 2.5/6, 3.0 million

Fox 2.5/6, 2.9 million

CW 0.6/2, 0.8 million

Each rating point equals 1.19 million viewers

TOTAL VIEWERS

CBS 3.4/9, 10.0 million

ABC 2.4/6, 7.0 million.

NBC 2.2/6, 6.6 million

Fox 2.0/5, 6.0 million

CW 0.5/1, 1.5 million

Each rating point equals 2.89 million viewers

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