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

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

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Due to the nature of live sports, Fast Nationals for FOX and NBC are unreliable and should not be used. NFL Overrun ran until 7:26p. The OT aired from 7:26-7:45p. World Series Pre-Game aired from 7:45-8:02p. World Series Game 4 aired from 8:02-11:14p.]

FOX (14.62 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.4, #1) was the network to beat on Sunday with its all-sports mix of "NFL Overrun" (21.84 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 7.4, #1), "The OT" (13.44 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 4.3, #3) and "World Series, Game 4" (13.61 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 4.0, #4).

NBC (9.57 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.8, #2) then claimed a silver with its coverage of "Sunday Night Football" (11.24 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 4.6, #2). Leading off its lineup were pre-game specials "Football Night in America #1" (4.26 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T14), "Football Night in America #2" (6.38 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 2.5, #T9) and "Football Night in America #3" (9.70 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 3.7, #6).

Next up was ABC (8.60 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.6, #3) with a new "America's Funniest Home Videos" (6.61 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T14) followed by the premiere of "Once Upon a Time" (12.79 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 3.9, #5) and fresh installments of "Desperate Housewives" (9.22 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 3.0, #7)and "Pan Am" (5.77 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.8, #13).

And finally, new episodes of "60 Minutes" (12.65 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.5, #T9), "The Amazing Race" (9.91 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.7, #8), "The Good Wife" (9.61 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 2.0, #12), "CSI: Miami" (9.80 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.1, #11) on CBS (10.49 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.3, #4) rounded out the evening.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+31.58% - 60 Minutes
+11.11% - Desperate Housewives
+8.00% - The Amazing Race
0.00% - America's Funniest Home Videos
0.00% - Pan Am
-4.76% - The Good Wife
-12.50% - CSI: Miami
-19.30% - Sunday Night Football

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+62.50% - Once Upon a Time (vs. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition)
-12.50% - CSI: Miami
-16.67% - America's Funniest Home Videos
-18.18% - The Amazing Race
-23.08% - Desperate Housewives
-24.24% - 60 Minutes
-30.77% - Pan Am (vs. Brothers & Sisters)
-39.39% - The Good Wife (vs. Undercover Boss)
-46.51% - Sunday Night Football

Here are the highlights of the 17 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (10/24/10):

A monster showing by "Sunday Night Football" (22.53 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 8.6, #1) put NBC (20.43 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 7.7, #1) light years ahead of the competition last night. Leading off the night were "Football Night in America #1" (8.61 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 2.9, #9), "Football Night in America #2" (11.93 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 4.5, #4) and "Football Night in America #3" (18.43 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 6.6, #2).

A distant second place then went to CBS (12.95 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.4, #2) with its mix of "NFL Overrun" (18.92 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 5.3, #3) followed by (half-hour results only) "60 Minutes" (14.60 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 3.3, #T6), "The Amazing Race 17" (11.37 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 3.3, #T6), "Undercover Boss" (11.55 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 3.3, #T6) and "CSI: Miami" (9.66 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.4, #T11).

Next up was ABC (9.32 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.7, #3) with new episodes of "America's Funniest Home Videos" (7.65 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.8, #14), "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" (9.10 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 2.4, #T11), "Desperate Housewives" (12.15 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 3.9, #5) and "Brothers & Sisters" (8.40 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 2.6, #10).

And finally, absent Game 7 of the NLCS, FOX (3.97 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.8, #4) opted for repeats of "The Simpsons" (3.91 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T16), "American Dad" (3.89 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 1.7, #15), "Family Guy" (4.52 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 2.1, #13) and another "American Dad" (3.57 million viewers, #17; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T16).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49): Sunday Night Football (32.30%), 60 Minutes (17.90%), Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (4.30%), Desperate Housewives (2.60%), America's Funniest Home Videos (0.00%), Undercover Boss (-2.90%), The Amazing Race 17 (-2.90%), Brothers & Sisters (-3.70%), CSI: Miami (-11.10%).

Source: Nielsen Media Research