nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for sunday, january 15, 2012)

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

A full hour of "NFL Overrun" (40.08 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 14.3, #1) pushed FOX (20.17 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 8.0, #1) to the top spot on Sunday. Leading out of said coverage were a new "The Simpsons" (15.70 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 6.8, #2), the premiere of "Napoleon Dynamite" (9.51 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 4.6, #3), a new "Family Guy" (8.50 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 4.4, #4) and a second "Napoleon Dynamite" (7.15 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 3.6, #6).

NBC (12.34 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.6, #2) then had to settle for second place with its mix of the "Golden Globes Red Carpet" (7.35 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.9, #T10) and "The 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards" (14.01 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 4.2, #5).

Next up was ABC (6.68 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.1, #3) with original installments of "America's Funniest Home Videos" (5.14 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.2, #15), "Once Upon a Time" (9.84 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 3.3, #7), "Desperate Housewives" (7.83 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 2.7, #9) and "Pan Am" (3.93 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.3, #14).

And finally, a new "60 Minutes" (8.72 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T12), the return of "Undercover Boss" (11.56 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 3.0, #8), a new "The Good Wife" (9.31 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.9, #T10) and a repeat of "CSI: Miami" (7.07 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T12) on CBS (9.17 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.0, #4) closed out the evening.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+195.65% - The Simpsons
+46.67% - Family Guy
0.00% - Pan Am
-10.00% - Desperate Housewives
-10.81% - Once Upon a Time
-14.29% - America's Funniest Home Videos
-29.63% - The Good Wife
-62.50% - 60 Minutes

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+119.35% - The Simpsons
+76.92% - Napoleon Dynamite (vs. Bob's Burgers)
+65.00% - Once Upon a Time (vs. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition)
+33.33% - Napoleon Dynamite (vs. The Cleveland Show)
+18.92% - Family Guy
+9.09% - America's Funniest Home Videos
-5.00% - Golden Globes Red Carpet
-6.67% - The 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards
-12.90% - Desperate Housewives
-26.83% - Undercover Boss (vs. 60 Minutes)
-38.10% - Pan Am (vs. Brothers & Sisters)
-42.42% - The Good Wife (vs. Undercover Boss)
-88.97% - 60 Minutes (vs. NFL Overrun)

Here are the highlights of the 16 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (1/16/11):

A full hour of "NFL Overrun" (40.63 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 13.6, #1) put CBS (20.38 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 5.8, #1) in front on Sunday. Leading out of said coverage were new episodes of "60 Minutes" (17.25 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 4.1, #3), "Undercover Boss" (13.29 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 3.3, #5) and "CSI: Miami" (10.35 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.4, #10).

NBC (12.77 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.8, #2) then had to settle for second place with its mix of the "Golden Globes Red Carpet" (8.22 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.0, #T12) and "The 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards" (14.29 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 4.5, #2).

Next up was FOX (5.07 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.5, #3) with its deflated (absent last week's NFL overrun) mix of a "The Simpsons" (2.64 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 1.2, #15) repeat followed by new episodes of "American Dad" (3.58 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.7, #14), "The Simpsons" (6.47 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 3.1, #T6), "Bob's Burgers" (5.10 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 2.6, #9), "Family Guy" (7.08 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 3.7, #4) and "The Cleveland Show" (5.55 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 2.7, #8)

And finally, ABC (7.78 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.1, #4) rounded out the evening with new episodes of "America's Funniest Home Videos" (5.87 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.1, #16), "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" (7.94 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.0, #T12), "Desperate Housewives" (10.08 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 3.1, #T6) and "Brothers & Sisters" (10.35 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.1, #11). Said demo numbers for "Housewives" marked its lowest ever for an original episode while "Brothers" tied its own low.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49): 60 Minutes (156.30%), Undercover Boss (10.00%), CSI: Miami (-4.00%), Brothers & Sisters (-8.70%), Desperate Housewives (-18.40%), Family Guy (-21.30%), The Cleveland Show (-22.90%), Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (-23.10%), America's Funniest Home Videos (-38.90%), Bob's Burgers (-42.20%), American Dad (-45.20% vs. 12/12/10), The Simpsons (-45.60%).

Source: Nielsen Media Research