nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for sunday, january 22, 2012)

Here are the highlights of the 13 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night:

FOX (50.05 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 18.7, #1) overshadowed the competition on Sunday with its coverage of the "NFC Championship: New York at San Francisco" (50.05 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 18.7, #1). "American Idol" (19.75 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 7.9, #2) followed at 10:57pm in Time Zone Adjusted Fast Nationals.

A distant silver then went to ABC (6.45 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.0, #2) with new episodes of "America's Funniest Home Videos" (5.19 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.2, #9), "Once Upon a Time" (9.30 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.2, #3), "Desperate Housewives" (7.46 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.6, #4) and "Pan Am" (3.86 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.3, #8).

Next up was CBS (7.23 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.6, #3) with original installments of "60 Minutes" (7.90 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.5, #6) and "Undercover Boss" (9.17 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.2, #5) followed by repeats of "The Good Wife" (5.61 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T10) and "CSI: Miami" (6.23 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.4, #7).

And finally, a two-hour repeat of "Dateline NBC" (5.12 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T10) led into a new "Prime Suspect" (4.26 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.8, #12) and the finale of "Prime Suspect" (3.64 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.7, #13) on NBC (4.56 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.9, #4).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
0.00% - 60 Minutes
0.00% - Pan Am
0.00% - America's Funniest Home Videos
-3.03% - Once Upon a Time
-3.70% - Desperate Housewives
-20.00% - Prime Suspect - 9:00 (vs. 12/22/11)
-26.67% - Undercover Boss
-30.00% - Prime Suspect - 10:00 (vs. 12/22/11)

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+136.36% - Desperate Housewives
+85.71% - Pan Am
+68.42% - Once Upon a Time
-11.11% - Prime Suspect - 9:00
-14.29% - America's Funniest Home Videos
-22.22% - Prime Suspect - 10:00
-68.12% - Undercover Boss
-91.33% - 60 Minutes

Here are the highlights of the 15 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (1/23/11):

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).

Source: Nielsen Media Research