NBC has won the season's 14th week in 18-49, total viewers and all other key ratings categories with gains versus the same week last year of 15 percent in 18-49 and 16 percent in total viewers. NBC was led by "Sunday Night Football," which hit series records with this week's Cowboys-Redskins showdown.

NBC has now ranked #1 or tied for #1 in 18-49 for 12 of the season's first 14 weeks.

Season to date, NBC is up 24% in 18-49, having moved from a tie for #3 at this point last year to #1 this year, and up 19% in total viewers.

It's the first time in nine years (since 2003) that NBC has been #1 at this point in the season.

NBC's 3.1 season average is its highest rating at this point in the season in five years (since 2007).

NBC's lead of 0.3 of a rating point so far this season (3.1 vs. 2.8 for #2 CBS) matches the biggest for any network at this point in the season in 10 years (since NBC led by 0.7 of a point at this time during the 2002-03 season).

For the Week:

* "Sunday Night Football" was the #1 primetime show of the week on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in in every key ratings category.

* Friday's "Dateline NBC" encore tied for #7 for the week in 18-49.

* NBC was up versus the same week last year in every key ratings category.

Here are "live plus same day" weekly averages for Week 14...

Week 14 Adults 18-49 vs. Same Week Last Year
Net...Week 2011... Week 2012...Diff
NBC...2.0...2.3...Up 15%
CBS...1.7...1.3...Down 24%
ABC...1.3...1.1...Down 15%
Fox...1.0...1.4...Up 40%

Week 14 Total Viewers vs. Same Week Last Year
Net...Week 2011... Week 2012...Diff
NBC...6.348 million ...7.354 million...Up 16%
CBS...8.198 million...6.639 million...Down 19%
ABC...4.714 million ...3.970 million...Down 16%
Fox...2.999 million ...3.943 million...Up 31%

In 18-49 so far this season, NBC's schedule includes:

* The #1 primetime series on the broadcast networks, Sunday Night Football.

* 4 of primetime's top 7 programs on the broadcast nets (#1 "SNF," #4 Monday's "The Voice," #5 "Revolution" and tied for #6 Tuesday's "The Voice").

* The #1 unscripted series, The Voice.

* The #1 drama on the broadcast nets, #1 new series and #5 series overall, Revolution.

* The #1 new comedy, Go On.

* The #1 Friday series, Grimm.

Rankings exclude sports pre- and post-game shows.

NBC currently accounts for four of the top seven new shows of the fall in 18-49:
1. Revolution, 5.0
2T. Go On, 3.2
2T. Elementary, 3.2
4. Nashville, 2.9
5. New Normal, 2.6
6T. Chicago Fire, 2.4
6T. 666 Park Ave., 2.4

In addition to being up for the season by 24 percent in 18-49 (3.1 vs. 2.5), NBC is up 19 percent in total viewers (8.8 million vs. 7.4 million) and up by double-digit percentages in all other key categories. NBC is the only network among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox that's up versus year-ago averages in 18-49, total viewers or any other key measure.

Here are "most current" season averages thru 14 weeks...

Season to Date Adults 18-49 vs. Last Year Net...Season to Date 2011... Season to Date 2012...Diff NBC...2.5...3.1...Up 24% CBS...3.2...2.8...Down 13% ABC...2.5...2.4...Down 4% Fox...3.1...2.4...Down 23%

Season to Date Total Viewers vs. Last Year
Net...Season to Date 2011... Season to Date 2012...Diff
NBC...7.371 million ...8.768 million...Up 19%
CBS...12.110 million...11.384 million...Down 6%
ABC...8.703 million ...8.257 million...Down 5%
Fox...8.563 million ...6.598 million...Down 23%

Median Age

NBC is the only network among ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and CW whose audience has gotten younger this season versus last:

Network...'11-12...'12-13
NBC...49.0...48.4
CBS...54.9...56.4
ABC...52.4...53.2
Fox...45.6...45.7
CW...37.4...41.2

NBC WINS THE PRIMETIME WEEK OF DEC. 24-30 IN ALL KEY MEASURES, UP VS. THE SAME WEEK LAST YEAR BY 15 PERCENT IN 18-49 AND 16 PERCENT IN TOTAL VIEWERS

NBC HAS NOW FINISHED #1 OR TIED FOR #1 IN 18-49 FOR 12 OF 14 WEEKS THIS SEASON

NBC IS #1 IN 18-49 AT THIS POINT IN THE SEASON FOR THE FIRST TIME IN NINE YEARS

'SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL' SETS SERIES RECORDS AND IS THE #1 PRIMETIME TELECAST OF THE WEEK ON ABC, CBS, NBC AND FOX IN EVERY KEY RATINGS CATEGORY

NBC LEADS CHRISTMAS EVE WITH THE BIGGEST AUDIENCE FOR 'IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE' IN SEVEN YEARS

NBC WINS FRIDAY WITH THE LARGEST 'DATELINE NBC' FRIDAY AUDIENCE SINCE SEPTEMBER 2011

'SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL' GRABS THE TOP OVERALL AUDIENCE FOR A PRIMETIME REGULAR-SEASON NFL TELECAST IN 16 YEARS

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - January 3, 2013 - NBC has won the primetime week of December 24-30 among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in adults 18-49, total viewers and all other key ratings measures, with gains versus the same week last year of 15 percent in 18-49 rating (to a 2.3 from a 2.0) and 16 percent in total viewers (7.4 million vs. 6.3 million), according to "live plus same day" viewing data from Nielsen Media Research.

For the season to date, NBC ranks #1 with a 24 percent increase over its year-ago 18-49 average (with a 3.1 rating versus last year's 2.5). It's the first time in nine years NBC has ranked #1 at this point in the season.

In total viewers, NBC is up this season versus one year ago by 19 percent (8.8 million vs. 7.4 million). NBC is ahead of its year-ago season average by double-digit percentages in every key ratings category.

"Sunday Night Football" was the #1 primetime show of the week on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in every key category - adults, men and women 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54 and total viewers - as well as kids 2-11 and teens 12-17. Also ranking among the top primetime programs of the week on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in 18-49 were Friday's "Dateline NBC," tied for #7; Monday's Christmas Eve run of "It's a Wonderful Life," tied for #15; Wednesday's "Law & Order: SVU" encore, #21; Wednesday's "Chicago Fire" rebroadcast, tied for #25; and Tuesday's "Horton Hears a Who," tied for #25.

"Sunday Night Football" was the #1 primetime show of the week in adults 18-49 during all 17 weeks of the NFL season and was #1 in total viewers for 15 of 17 weeks and the last nine in a row.

For the season to date, NBC's schedule features four of primetime's top seven programs on the broadcast nets ("Sunday Night Football," #1; Monday's "The Voice," #4; "Revolution" #5; and Tuesday's "The Voice," tied for #6). NBC's schedule features the #1 show overall ("SNF"), the #1 drama on the broadcast networks and #1 new show ("Revolution"), the #1 new comedy ("Go On") and #1 Friday series ("Grimm") (sports pre- and post-game shows are excluded from these rankings).

Primetime averages for the week of December 24-30 in adults 18-49 are: NBC, 2.3/7; Fox, 1.4/4; CBS, 1.3/4; ABC, 1.1/3; and CW, 0.3/1. In overall total viewers, the weekly averages were: NBC, 7.4 million; CBS, 6.6 million; ABC, 4.0 million; Fox, 3.9 million; and CW, 1.0 million.

Season to date averages through eight weeks are: NBC, 3.1/9; CBS, 2.8/8; Fox, 2.4/7; ABC, 2.4/7; and CW, 0.8/2. In overall total viewers, the season averages are: CBS, 11.4 million; NBC, 8.8 million; ABC, 8.3 million; Fox, 6.7 million; and CW, 1.9 million.

NBC highlights for the week of December 24-30

Monday: An encore telecast of "It's a Wonderful Life" (1.5 rating, 6 share in adults 18-49, 5.6 million viewers) ranked #1 for the night among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in adults 18-49, total viewers and all other key ratings categories. It was the #1 theatrical movie on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox so far this season in total viewers and tied for #1 in adults 18-49 (with CBS's December 15 airing of "Elf"). It's also the biggest overall audience for a telecast of "It's a Wonderful Life" since December 10, 2005. Versus its year-ago telecast, "It's a Wonderful Life" was up 16 percent in total viewers (5.620 million vs. 4.828 million).

Thursday: "Rock Center" (0.9/3 in 18-49, 3.4 million viewers overall) reported its highest adult 25-54 rating (1.2) in three weeks.

Friday: NBC won the night among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox as an encore telecast of "Dateline NBC" (1.7/5 in 18-49, 6.8 million viewers overall) reported the #1 18-49 and total-viewer results of the night on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox. "Dateline's" 6.8 million viewer average is the show's biggest overall audience for a Friday telecast since September 23, 2011 (7.2 million). In 18-49, "Dateline" matched its second-highest rating of the season, behind only the December 14 telecast that focused on the Newtown, Conn. school shootings (2.0). The December 28 edition of "Dateline" covered the story of a young Florida mother who was abducted and taken for ransom, only to have three attempts to drop the ransom fail.

Saturday: An encore "Chicago Fire" (0.6/2 in 18-49, 3.2 million viewers overall) ranked #1 among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in total viewers at 9 p.m. ET and a rebroadcast "Law & Order: SVU" at 10 (0.8/2 in 18-49, 4.0 million viewers overall) delivered the show's biggest overall audience for a Saturday encore since September 29.

Sunday: This week's Cowboys-Redskins "Sunday Night Football" (10.5/28 in 18-49, 30.3 million viewers overall, 17.0/27 in households) scored the highest total-viewer and household results in the seven-season history of NBC's "Sunday Night Football." The Cowboys-Redskins showdown delivered the top total-viewer result for any regular-season primetime game on any network in 16 years (since ABC's Packers-Cowboys coverage on Monday, Nov. 18, 1996, 31.5 million) and the most-watched NFL primetime regular-season final game in 18 years (since ABC's 49ers-Vikings coverage on Monday, Dec. 26, 1994, 32.0 million). It's the biggest overall audience for a primetime telecast, excluding Olympics, since the Academy Awards averaged 39.3 million viewers on ABC February 26, 2012.

Ratings reflect "live plus same day" data from Nielsen Media Research unless otherwise noted. Season-to-date figures are averages of "live plus seven day" data except for the two most recent weeks, which are "live plus same day."