nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for friday, march 8, 2013)

Here are the highlights of the 14 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night:

ABC (6.350 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.7, #1) took home top demo honors on Friday with its mix of "Last Man Standing" (7.010 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T3), "Malibu Country" (5.956 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T7), "Shark Tank" (6.882 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.0, #1) and "20/20" (5.686 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.6, #2).

CBS (8.417 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.3, #2) then claimed the silver with a new "Undercover Boss" (7.290 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T5), a special "Golden Boy" (7.452 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.0, #9) and a new "Blue Bloods" (10.509 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T5).

Next up was NBC (3.976 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.1, #3) with the return of "Fashion Star" (3.034 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.8, #11) and "Grimm" (4.965 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T3) followed by a new "Rock Center With Brian Williams" (3.930 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.9, #10).

Meanwhile, FOX (2.992 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.0, #4) offered up originals from "Kitchen Nightmares" (3.380 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.3, #T7) and "Touch" (2.605 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.7, #12).

And finally, a new "Nikita" (1.392 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.4, #13) and the relocated "Cult" (0.723 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.2, #14) on The CW (1.057 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.3, #5) closed out the night. In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Nikita" delivered a 0.4 rating at 8:00/7:00c and "Cult" a 0.1 rating at 9:00/8:00c.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+33.33% - Nikita
+6.67% - 20/20
+5.26% - Shark Tank
0.00% - Blue Bloods (vs. 2/22/13)
0.00% - Kitchen Nightmares
-6.25% - Last Man Standing
-6.25% - Grimm (vs. 11/16/12)
-6.67% - Undercover Boss (vs. 2/22/13)
-7.14% - Malibu Country
-10.00% - Rock Center With Brian Williams
-12.50% - Touch
-33.33% - Cult (vs. 2/26/13)
-37.50% - Golden Boy (vs. 3/5/13)

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+66.67% - Shark Tank (vs. Primetime: What Would You Do?)
+33.33% - Nikita (vs. Nikita (Repeat))
+23.08% - 20/20
+18.18% - Kitchen Nightmares (vs. Kitchen Nightmares (Repeat))
0.00% - Last Man Standing (vs. Shark Tank)
0.00% - Grimm
-13.33% - Malibu Country (vs. Shark Tank)
-20.00% - Fashion Star (vs. Who Do You Think You Are?)
-22.22% - Blue Bloods
-35.71% - Rock Center With Brian Williams (vs. Dateline NBC)
-36.36% - Undercover Boss
-36.36% - Touch (vs. Kitchen Nightmares (Repeat))
-50.00% - Cult (vs. Supernatural (Repeat))
-50.00% - Golden Boy (vs. The Mentalist)

In late-night metered market ratings (via NBC's press release):

* In Nielsen's 56 metered markets, household results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 2.2/6 with an encore telecast; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.4/6 with an encore; and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 2.3/6.

* In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 Wednesday results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 0.6/3 with an encore; "Late Show," 0.6/3 with an encore; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.8/4.

* From 12:35-1:05 a.m. ET Wednesday night, ABC's "Nightline" averaged a 1.4/4 in metered-market households and a 0.5/3 in 18-49 in the Local People Meters.

* From 12:35-1:35 a.m. ET, "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.2/4 in metered-market households with an encore) tied CBS's first-run "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.2/4). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.5/3 in 18-49 with an encore) topped "Late Late Show" (0.4/2).

* At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.8/3 in metered-market households with an encore and a 0.3/2 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

Here are the highlights of the 12 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (3/9/12):

CBS (11.04 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.0, #1) was the network to beat on Friday with a new "Undercover Boss" (10.02 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.2, #1), a special "The Mentalist" (11.83 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.0, #2) and a new "Blue Bloods" (11.26 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.8, #3).

ABC (4.72 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.4, #2) then snagged the silver with its mix of "Shark Tank" (5.38 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T4), "Primetime: What Would You Do?" (4.21 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.2, #8) and "20/20" (4.55 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.3, #7).

Next up was NBC (5.08 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.3, #3) with originals of "Who Do You Think You Are?" (5.05 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.0, #10), "Grimm" (5.15 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T4) and "Dateline NBC" (5.03 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.4, #6).

Meanwhile, FOX (2.83 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.1, #4) offered up a two-hour block of "Kitchen Nightmares" (2.83 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.1, #9).

And finally, repeats of "Nikita" (1.15 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.3, #12) and "Supernatural" (1.16 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.4, #11) on The CW (1.15 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.4, #5) closed out the evening.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+10.00% - Undercover Boss
+7.69% - Dateline NBC
+5.88% - Blue Bloods
-11.76% - Shark Tank
-11.76% - Grimm
-18.75% - 20/20
-29.41% - Primetime: What Would You Do?
-33.33% - Who Do You Think You Are?

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+46.67% - Undercover Boss (vs. The Defenders)
+36.36% - Shark Tank (vs. Supernanny)
+11.11% - Who Do You Think You Are? (vs. Who Do You Think You Are? (Repeat))
0.00% - The Mentalist (vs. CSI: NY)
-5.26% - Blue Bloods
-11.76% - Grimm (vs. Dateline NBC)
-14.29% - Primetime: What Would You Do?
-17.65% - Dateline NBC
-18.75% - 20/20

In late-night metered market ratings (via NBC's press release):

In Nielsen's 56 metered markets, household results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 2.6/6 with an encore telecast; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.6/6 with an encore; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 3.1/7; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.5/4 with an encore.

In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 0.9/4 with an encore; "Late Show," 0.6/2 with an encore; "Nightline," 0.9/4; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.5/3 with an encore.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.5/5 in metered-market households with an encore) beat CBS's original "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.3/4). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.6/3 in 18-49 with an encore) topped "Late Late Show" (0.4/2).

At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.9/4 with an encore in metered-market households and a 0.4/2 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

Source: Nielsen Media Research