RATINGS: NBC Ranks #1 For Premiere Week

For the ninth year in a row.

By: Sep. 29, 2020
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RATINGS: NBC Ranks #1 For Premiere Week

NBC has won the opening week of the 2019-20 primetime television season among the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49, adults 25-54, total viewers and every other key ratings category, according to "live plus same day" figures from Nielsen Media Research.

The win in adults 18-49 marks the ninth year in a row NBC has finished #1 or tied for #1 during Premiere Week in primetime's key demographic. It's the longest streak of Premiere Week #1 finishes in people meter history, dating back to 1987. Prior to this current NBC streak, the longest had been by ABC with five in a row from 2005 through 2009.

It's also the second year in a row and just the second time in 19 years NBC has won Premiere Week in total viewers (since taking the week in 2001). NBC's total-viewer margin of +41% over #2 (5.474 million for NBC, 3.888 million for Fox) is the biggest for any network for a Premiere Week in 32 years, since an +87% win by NBC in 1988 during the Seoul Olympics.

NBC's schedule was led by the week's #1 primetime program in 18-49 and total viewers, the Packers-Saints "Sunday Night Football" telecast. Excluding sports and news telecasts, the top two most-watched Big 4 primetime shows last week were Wednesday's season finale of "America's Got Talent" and Tuesday's final competition episode.

Extending back into the summer, this is the third week in a row NBC has ranked #1 in adults 18-49 and fifth week in a row in total viewers.

Weekly ratings are "live plus same day" figures from Nielsen Media Research unless otherwise noted. Summer-to-date and 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."



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