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[03/26/12 - 08:39 AM]
Sunday's Broadcast Ratings: CBS Wins Tight Demo Race With ABC
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)

nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for sunday, march 25, 2012)

Here are the highlights of the 18 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 CBS are approximate.]

CBS (10.16 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.3, #1) edged out the competition on Sunday thanks to its mix of a "NCAA Overrun" (12.93 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.5, #1), "60 Minutes" (10.92 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.5, #4), "The Amazing Race 20" (9.29 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.3, #5), "The Good Wife" (9.48 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.8, #T12) and "CSI: Miami" (8.95 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.0, #T8).

ABC (7.48 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.2, #2) then was a close second place with fresh installments of "America's Funniest Home Videos" (6.05 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.2, #15), "Once Upon a Time" (8.67 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.8, #2) - series low, "Desperate Housewives" (8.71 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.6, #3) and "GCB" (6.49 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.2, #6).

Next up was FOX (3.74 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.7, #3) and its combination of "The Simpsons" (2.34 million viewers, #18; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T16), "The Cleveland Show" (3.14 million viewers, #17; adults 18-49: 1.5, #14), another "The Simpsons" (4.12 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.9, #11), "Bob's Burgers" (3.96 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 2.0, #T8), "Family Guy" (4.62 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 2.1, #7) and "American Dad" (4.27 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 2.0, #T8).

And finally, new episodes of "Dateline NBC" (5.64 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T16), "Harry's Law" (8.03 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.8, #18) - a series low - and "The Celebrity Apprentice" (5.99 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.8, #T12) - tied as its season low - rounded out the night on NBC (6.41 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.4, #4).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+11.11% - CSI: Miami
+10.00% - GCB
+4.17% - 60 Minutes
+4.00% - Desperate Housewives
0.00% - The Celebrity Apprentice
0.00% - The Cleveland Show
-3.45% - Once Upon a Time
-4.76% - Bob's Burgers
-7.69% - America's Funniest Home Videos
-9.09% - American Dad
-9.09% - Dateline NBC
-10.00% - The Good Wife
-11.54% - The Amazing Race 20
-27.27% - Harry's Law

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+266.67% - GCB (vs. Brothers & Sisters (Repeat))
+188.89% - Desperate Housewives (vs. Desperate Housewives (Repeat))
+66.67% - Dateline NBC
+3.70% - Once Upon a Time (vs. Secret Millionaire)
-9.09% - Bob's Burgers
-11.76% - The Cleveland Show (vs. American Dad (Repeat))
-16.67% - 60 Minutes
-20.00% - American Dad
-25.00% - America's Funniest Home Videos
-25.93% - CSI: Miami
-28.13% - The Amazing Race 20
-38.46% - Harry's Law (vs. America's Next Great Restaurant)
-40.00% - The Celebrity Apprentice
-43.75% - The Good Wife (vs. Undercover Boss)


Here are the highlights of the 18 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (3/27/11):

CBS (12.55 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.2, #1) claimed the top spot on Sunday with its mix of "NCAA Overrun" (16.66 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.6, #1) followed by (half-hour results only) "60 Minutes" (13.73 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.0, #T4), "The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business" (10.92 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 3.2, #T2), "Undercover Boss" (11.76 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.2, #T2) and "CSI: Miami" (10.93 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.7, #T8).

FOX (4.76 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.2, #2) then claimed the silver with repeats of "The Simpsons" (3.41 million viewers, #17; adults 18-49: 1.5, #14) and "American Dad" (3.86 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.7, #12) followed by new episodes of "The Simpsons" (6.14 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.8, #T6) and "Bob's Burgers" (4.59 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 2.2, #11), a repeat of "Family Guy" (5.58 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 2.8, #T6) and a special new "American Dad" (5.00 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 2.5, #10).

Next up was NBC (6.05 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.0, #3) with new episodes of "Dateline NBC" (3.59 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T17), "America's Next Great Restaurant" (3.65 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.3, #15) and in a season high, "The Celebrity Apprentice" (8.47 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 3.0, #T4).

And finally, fresh installments of "America's Funniest Home Videos" (7.49 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.6, #13) and "Secret Millionaire" (10.52 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.7, #T8) led into repeats of "Desperate Housewives" (4.13 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.9, #16) and "Brothers & Sisters" (2.71 million viewers, #18; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T17) on ABC (6.21 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.4, #4).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49): 60 Minutes (36.40%), American Dad (25.00% vs. 2/20/11), The Amazing Race 17 (18.50%), Secret Millionaire (12.50%), The Simpsons (12.00% vs. 3/13/11), Undercover Boss (10.30%), America's Next Great Restaurant (8.30%), CSI: Miami (8.00%), The Celebrity Apprentice (7.10%), Bob's Burgers (0.00%), America's Funniest Home Videos (-5.90% vs. 3/13/11), Dateline NBC (-33.30%).

Source: Nielsen Media Research





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