nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for sunday, january 23, 2011)

Here are the highlights of the 15 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night:

CBS (40.90 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 14.4, #1) was the network to beat on Sunday with its coverage of the "AFC Championship: New York at Pittsburgh" (48.46 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 17.3, #1). Leading out of the broadcast were "AFC Championship Post-Game/Hawaii Five-0" (20.75 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 6.9, #2) and "Hawaii Five-0" (15.67 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 4.6, #3).

FOX (5.30 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.4, #2) then was tops with the leftovers thanks to its mix of a repeat "The Simpsons" (5.10 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.1, #9), "American Dad" (4.80 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 2.2, #T7), "The Simpsons" (6.50 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 3.1, #4), "Bob's Burgers" (4.84 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 2.2, #T7), a repeat of "Family Guy" (5.39 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.5, #5) and "The Cleveland Show" (5.20 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.4, #6).

Next up was ABC (5.17 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.3, #3) with fresh installments of "America's Funniest Home Videos" (6.45 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.4, #11) and "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" (6.98 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.9, #10) followed by repeats of "Desperate Housewives" (4.13 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.1, #12) and "Brothers & Sisters" (3.14 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.7, #14).

And finally, a new "Dateline NBC" (4.58 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.6, #15) led into the theatrical "Sex and the City" (3.22 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.9, #13) on NBC (3.56 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.8, #4).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49): American Dad (29.40%), America's Funniest Home Videos (27.30%), The Simpsons (0.00%), Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (-5.00%), The Cleveland Show (-11.10%), Bob's Burgers (-15.40%), Dateline NBC (-45.50% vs. 1/9/11).

Here are the highlights of the 10 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (1/24/10):

A monster showing for the "NFC Championship: Minnesota at New Orleans" (52.21 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 19.0, #1) helped FOX (52.21 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 19.0, #1) tower over the competition on Sunday.

ABC (6.42 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.9, #2) then won the leftovers battle with its mix of "America's Funniest Home Videos" (5.85 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.5, #4), a two-hour "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" (7.84 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.4, #2) and "Desperate Housewives" (4.17 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T5).

Next up was CBS (6.40 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.3, #3) with its all-repeat lineup of "60 Minutes" (6.96 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T5), "CSI: NY" (5.40 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.0, #8), "Cold Case" (6.07 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T5) and "CSI: Miami" (7.15 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.7, #3).

And finally, a two-hour "Dateline NBC" (3.99 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.7, #9) and coverage of the "U.S. Figure Skating Championships" (3.58 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.6, #10) on NBC (3.78 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.6, #4) rounded out the evening.

Source: Nielsen Media Research