nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for sunday, september 2, 2012)

Here are the highlights of the 16 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night:

FOX (2.41 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.1, #1) was the top demo draw on Sunday despite its all-repeat lineup of "American Dad" (1.38 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.6, #12), "The Cleveland Show" (1.56 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.7, #11), "The Simpsons" (2.42 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.0, #5), another "The Simpsons" (2.63 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.1, #4), "Family Guy" (3.21 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T2) and another "Family Guy" (3.27 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T2).

CBS (4.88 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.9, #2) then claimed the silver with its combination of "60 Minutes" (6.78 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T7), "Big Brother 14" (5.52 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.7, #1), "The Good Wife" (3.07 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T14) and "The Mentalist" (4.18 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T7).

Next up was NBC (3.10 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.8, #3) adn its mix of "Dateline NBC" (3.25 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.9, #6), "America's Got Talent" (3.14 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T7) and another "America's Got Talent" (2.90 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T7).

And finally, ABC (2.34 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.4, #4) didn't get a boost from its lineup of "The Chew Presents ABC's Primetime Fall Preview Special" (2.37 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T14), a repeat of "Once Upon a Time" (1.90 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T14) and the two-hour special "TV's Most Dynamic Duos: Presented by The Paley Center for Media" (2.54 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.5, #13).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
-32.00% - Big Brother 14
-40.00% - Dateline NBC (vs. 8/19/12)

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+28.57% - Dateline NBC
-26.09% - Big Brother 14
-54.55% - TV's Most Dynamic Duos: Presented by The Paley Center for Media (vs. 20/20: The Sixth Sense (Repeat))
-55.56% - The Chew Presents ABC's Primetime Fall Preview Special (vs. America's Funniest Home Videos (Repeat))

[NOTE: Today's numbers are courtesy of TVMediaInsights.com due to delays from our usual sources.]

Here are the highlights of the 16 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (9/4/11):

CBS (4.75 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.1, #1) narrowly took home top honors on Sunday with its mix of "60 Minutes" (5.88 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T9), "Big Brother 13" (6.62 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.3, #1), "Mike & Molly" (3.24 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T9), "The Good Wife: A New Beginning" (3.04 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.6, #15) and "The Good Wife" (3.36 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.5, #16).

A competitive silver then went to ABC (4.21 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.0, #2) with its all-repeat lineup of "America's Funniest Home Videos" (3.82 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T7), "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" (3.46 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T9) and "20/20: The Sixth Sense" (4.78 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T4).

Next up was NBC (4.10 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T3) and its combination of "Dateline NBC" (4.07 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T13) and "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" (4.12 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T7).

And finally, repeats of "American Dad" (1.86 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T9), "Bob's Burgers" (1.71 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T13), "The Simpsons" (2.67 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.2, #3), "The Cleveland Show" (2.55 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T4), "Family Guy" (3.46 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.6, #2) and a new "In The Flow with Affion Crockett" (2.28 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T4) rounded out the night on FOX (2.42 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T3).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49): In The Flow with Affion Crockett (10.0%), Big Brother 13 (-20.7%).

Source: Nielsen Media Research