REVISED: NBC'S PRIMETIME NFL TELECASTS RANK #1 AND #2 IN 18-49 FOR THE WEEK OF SEPT. 4-10
'NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL' BOOSTS THE NETWORK TO ITS HIGHEST-RATED NIGHT SINCE JANUARY 2005 (EXCLUDING OLYMPICS)
BURBANK, Calif. � September 12, 2006 � NBC Sports primetime coverage of NFL football scored the #1 and #2 adult 18-49 ratings of the week of September 4-10, according to in-home viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research. NBC averaged a 3.5 rating and 10 share in 18-49 and 9.6 million viewers overall for the week, ranking #2 in 18-49 and #1 in total viewers.
The debut of "NBC Sunday Night Football" was the #1 program of the week in adults 18-49 and NBC's first regular-season NFL telecast on Thursday night ranked #2.out of a total of 116 network programs this week. In total viewers, the Sunday and Thursday NFL telecasts ranked #1 and #3 respectively. (Note: rankings exclude Fox's NFL overrun on Sunday.)
NBC finished #2 for the week in adults 18-49 and #1 in adults 25-54, total viewers and other key demographic measures. Primetime averages for the week of September 4-10 in adults 18-49 were Fox (3.6/10), NBC (3.5/10), ABC (2.6/8), CBS (2.4/7), Univision (1.6/5), WB (0.6/2), Telemundo (0.4/1) and UPN (0.3/1). In overall total viewers the weekly averages were NBC (9.7 million), Fox (9.3 million), ABC (7.5 million), CBS (7.1 million), Univision (3.6 million), WB (1.7 million), UPN (0.9 million) and Telemundo (0.9 million).
NBC highlights for the week of September 4-10:
* On Sunday, the regular season debut of "NBC Sunday Night Football" topped every regular season debut "Monday Night Football" telecast since September 4, 2000 and trails only the Pittsburgh-Indianapolis game of November 28, 2005 among all "MNF" telecasts since 2000.
* "NBC Sunday Night Football" was up 11 percent in adults 18-49, up 15 percent in total viewers and up 10 percent in households versus last year's debut of ABC's "Monday Night Football" on September 12, 2005
* In adults 18-49, Sunday was NBC's highest-rated night, excluding Olympics, since Thursday, Jan. 20, 2005. The 7.4 rating for the night is a 164 percent increase over NBC's Sunday average for the 2005-06 regular season.
* On Thursday, NBC's first-regular-season NFL telecast, featuring the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers versus the Miami Dolphins, was the highest-rated (18-49) and most-watched (total viewers) Thursday NFL season opener ever.
* NBC won Thursday night in 18-49 (with a 109 percent advantage over second place), total viewers and all other key measures.
* On Wednesday, an encore "Law & Order" locked up its highest 18-49 rating and total viewer tally of the summer, winning its hour in adults 18-49, total viewers and virtually all key measures.
* On Tuesday, "Law & Order: SVU" was #1 in its time period in adults 18-49, total viewers and most other key ratings measures.
* On Friday, "Dateline NBC" reported its highest Friday numbers in adults 18-49 and total viewers since May 12 and ranked #1 in adults 18-49, total viewers and other key measures.
* Also on Friday, "Law and Order" apprehended its highest Friday 18-49 rating and overall total viewership of the summer, while "Las Vegas" matched its highest 18-49 result of the summer and won its highest overall viewership of the summer.
Excluding sports, 18-49 averages for the 2005-06 broadcast year to date are Fox (a 3.5 rating), CBS (3.3), ABC (3.1), NBC (2.8), WB (1.1) and UPN (1.1).
Ratings reflect "live plus same day" data unless otherwise noted. Season-to-date figures are averages of live only results through December 25 and "live plus seven day" data since then, except for the two most recent weeks, which are live plus same day.
Additional NBC highlights for the week of September 4-10:
On Monday, September 4 from 8-10 p.m. ET, the movie "Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Diff'rent Strokes" (1.5 rating, 4 share in adults 18-49, 3.9 million viewers overall) grew by 29 percent in 18-49 rating from its first to its final half-hour (to a 1.8 from a 1.4).
On Tuesday, September 5 at 10 p.m. ET, a rebroadcast of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (2.9/8 in 18-49, 8.8 million viewers overall) won its time period in adults 18-49, total viewers and most key measures. "SVU" built by 32 percent in 18-49 rating versus its lead-in � a 2.2/6 in 18-49 and 7.7 million viewers overall for an encore "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" from 9-10 p.m. "Criminal Intent" itself had built by 29 percent in 18-49 versus its lead-in, a 1.7/5 in 18-49 and 4.6 million viewers overall from 8-9 p.m. for "Fear Factor."
On Wednesday, September 6 at 10 p.m. ET, an encore telecast of "Law & Order" (2.9/6 in 18-49, 9.2 million viewers overall) locked up its highest 18-49 rating and total viewer tally of the summer. "L&O" won its time period in adults 18-49, adults 18-34, adults 25-54, total viewers and virtually all key measures.
On Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET, an encore "Scrubs" averaged a 2.0/6 in 18-49 and 4.2 million viewers overall, and at 9:30 p.m., a second "Scrubs" rebroadcast (2.2/6 in 18-49, 4.3 million viewers overall) built by 10 percent in 18-49 on its lead-on. From 8-9 p.m., "Fear Factor" averaged a 1.9/6 in 18-49 and 5.0 million viewers overall.
On Thursday, September 7, NBC's first regular-season NFL telecast, featuring the Pittsburgh Steelers versus the Miami Dolphins, averaged a 7.8/23 in adults 18-49 and 19.2 million viewers overall, making it the highest-rated (18-49) and most-watched (total viewers) Thursday night NFL season opener ever. The game, from 8:37-11:31 p.m. ET, averaged a 12.6/21 household rating. Versus last year's Thursday NFL kickoff on ABC on September 8, 2005, this year's game was up 7 percent in overall total viewers (19.2 vs. 18.0 million), 8 percent in household rating (12.6 vs. 11.7) and 1 percent in 18-49 (7.8 vs. 7.7).
From 8-8:30 p.m. ET, NBC's "NFL Kickoff 2006" special averaged a 3.2/12 in 18-49 and 8.9 million viewers overall, up 14 percent in 18-49 versus last year's 8-9 p.m. special on ABC (3.2/12 vs. 2.8/9) and up 1.6 million viewers overall versus last year (8.9 million vs. 7.3 million). "NFL Kickoff 2006" averaged a 5.9/11 in households.
NBC won Thursday night by all key measures, including adults 18-49 and total viewers. In adults 18-49, NBC had a 109 percent advantage over second-place CBS (6.9 vs. 3.3). In men 18-49, NBC outdelivered the broadcast network competition combined by 45 percent (a 9.4 for NBC vs. a 6.5 for the other networks combined).
On Friday, September 1 from 8-9 p.m. ET, "Dateline NBC" (2.0/7 in 18-49, 7.3 million viewers overall) reported NBC's highest 18-49 rating and total viewer results in this time period since May 12. "Dateline" ranked #1 in adults 18-49, adults 25-54, total viewers and other key measures.
Friday at 9 p.m. ET, an encore "Las Vegas" (1.6/5 in 18-49, 5.7 million viewers overall) matched the show's highest 18-49 rating and delivered its highest overall total viewership of the summer. "Las Vegas" was #1 for the time period among men 18-49 (tie) and men 25-54.
At 10 p.m. ET, a rebroadcast of "Law & Order" (2.0/7 in 18-49, 7.8 million viewers overall) apprehended its highest 18-49 rating and overall total viewership for a Friday telecast this summer. "Law & Order," which was up 25 percent in 18-49 versus both its lead-in and its week-ago results (1.6), ranked #1 in the time period among men 18-34, men 18-49 and men 25-54.
On Saturday, September 9 from 8-10 p.m. ET, "Dateline NBC" averaged a 1.4/5 in 18-49 and 5.6 million viewers overall. At 10 p.m., an encore "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" (1.6/5 in 18-49, 5.6 million viewers overall) was the #1 non-sports choice in the time period in 18-49 and virtually all other key ratings measures.
On Sunday, September 10, the "NBC Sunday Night Football" regular season debut, featuring the Indianapolis Colts versus the New York Giants, averaged an 8.8/22 in adults 18-49, 22.6 million viewers overall and a 14.3/23 household rating and share from 8:20-11: 22 p.m. ET.
This tops every regular-season debut of "Monday Night Football" since September 4, 2000. Among all "MNF" telecasts since 2000, this trails only the November 28, 2005 Pittsburgh-Indianapolis game in 18-49, total viewers and households.
Versus last year's season debut of ABC's "Monday Night Football" on September 12, 2005, the "NBC Sunday Night Football" regular-season debut was up 11 percent in adults 18-49 (8.8 vs. 7.9), 15 percent in total viewers (22.6 million vs. 19.6 million) and 10 percent in households (14.3 vs. 13.0).
Also on Sunday, "Football Night in America 2" from 7:30-7:58 p.m. ET averaged a 2.1/6 in 18-49, 5.4 million viewers overall and a 3.6 rating, 6 share in households. "Football Night in America 3" from 7:58-8:12 p.m. delivered a 4.2/13 in 18-49, 11.6 million viewers overall and a 7.5/13 in households. From 8:12-8:20 p.m., "NBC Sunday Night Football Pre Kickoff" averaged a 5.4/15 in 18-49, 14.5 million viewers overall and a 9.2/15 in households. Note: "Football Night in America" from 7-7:30 p.m. ET was sustaining programming and does not figure in the nightly or weekly primetime averages.
NBC won Sunday night in adults 18-49, total viewers and all other key measures. For the night, NBC averaged a 7.4 rating in 18-49, a 164 percent increase on the network's Sunday-night 18-49 average for the 2005-06 regular season (7.4 vs. 2.8). In total viewers, the increase is 97 percent (19.2 million versus 9.7 million for the 2005-06 season).
In 18-49, this is NBC's highest nightlong average for any night of the week, excluding Olympics, since Thursday, Jan. 20, 2005 ("Apprentice 3" premiere) and highest for a Sunday since January 25, 2004 ("Golden Globe Awards"). In total viewers, this is NBC's biggest average audience for any night of the week since Thursday, May 13, 2004 (the night of the "Frasier" finale).
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