nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for tuesday, july 5, 2011)

Here are the highlights of the 12 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night:

NBC (14.41 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.2, #1) was the network to beat with a two-hour "America's Got Talent" (15.51 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.5, #1) in its new 9:00/8:00c home. Leading off the night was another new "America's Got Talent" (12.21 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.4, #2).

"Talent" scored the show's second highest rating ever in 18-49, behind only the series debut five years ago and the third biggest "Talent" overall audience to date behind only the 2010 and 2009 finales, making it the biggest audience ever excluding finales.

FOX (4.13 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.8, #2) then snagged a distant second place with a repeat of "Kitchen Nightmares" (3.48 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.5, #6) and a new installment of the relocated "Masterchef" (4.77 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.1, #3).

Next up was ABC (4.78 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.5, #3) with a repeat of "Wipeout" (5.14 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.6, #5) followed by week three of "101 Ways to Leave a Game Show" (4.85 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.9, #4) and "Combat Hospital" (4.34 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T9).

Meanwhile, CBS (7.12 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.2, #4) was out of the hunt with repeats of "NCIS" (8.86 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.4, #7), "NCIS: Los Angeles" (6.95 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T9) and a late-minute "48 Hours Mystery" (5.53 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.2, #8) special.

And finally, repeats of "One Tree Hill" (0.61 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.2, #11) and "Hellcats" (0.44 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.1, #12) on The CW (0.52 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.2, #5) closed out the night.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49): America's Got Talent (40.60%), Masterchef (23.50%), 101 Ways to Leave a Game Show (5.60%), Combat Hospital (0.00%).

In late-night metered market ratings (via NBC's press release):

In Nielsen's 56 metered markets, household results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 3.3/8; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman with an encore," 2.2/5; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 3.2/7; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.7/5 with an encore.

In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 1.1/5; "Late Show," 0.5/2 with an encore; "Nightline," 1.1/4; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.6/3 with an encore.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.4/5 in metered-market households with an encore) beat CBS's first-run "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.1/4). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.5/3 in 18-49) with an encore topped "Late Late Show" (0.3/2).

At 1:35 a.m., Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.9/3 in metered-market households with an encore and a 0.4/3 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

Here are the highlights of the 13 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (7/6/10):

FOX (6.81 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.1, #1) claimed top honors on Tuesday thanks to new episodes of "Hell's Kitchen" (6.46 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 3.0, #4) and a second "Hell's Kitchen" (7.17 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 3.3, #2).

The silver then fell to NBC (9.12 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.7, #2) with fresh installments of "Losing It With Jillian" (3.94 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T9), "America's Got Talent" (11.10 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.1, #3) and a second hour of "America's Got Talent" (12.31 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.7, #1).

Next up was ABC (5.44 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.8, #3) with its mix of "Wipeout" (8.76 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.9, #5), "Downfall" (3.77 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.3, #8) and the return of "Primetime: Family Secrets" (3.78 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T9).

Meanwhile, CBS (8.15 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.4, #4) offered up repeats of "NCIS" (10.57 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.7, #6), "NCIS: Los Angeles" (8.54 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.4, #7) and "The Good Wife" (5.34 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.0, #11).

And The CW (0.75 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.3, #5) did the same with "One Tree Hill" (0.88 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.3, #12) and "Life Unexpected" (0.62 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.2, #13).

Source: Nielsen Media Research