nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for friday, march 22, 2013)

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

ABC (6.480 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.5, #1) was the network to beat on Friday thanks to the season finales of "Last Man Standing" (7.846 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T1) and "Malibu Country" (7.001 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T3) followed by a repeat of "Shark Tank" (5.747 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T3) and a new "20/20" (6.271 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T1).

NBC (3.902 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T2) then claimed the silver with originals from "Fashion Star" (2.891 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T11), "Grimm" (4.952 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T3) and "Rock Center With Brian Williams" (3.865 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T8).

Sharing second place was CBS (3.569 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T2) and its coverage of the "NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Iona vs. Ohio State" (3.381 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T8), "NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Update" (3.577 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.1, #7) and "NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Iowa State vs. Notre Dame" (3.847 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.2, #6).

Meanwhile, FOX (2.774 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.8, #4) offered up a repeat of "Kitchen Nightmares" (2.749 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T8) and a new "Touch" (2.799 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T11).

And finally, a rebroadcast of "Target Presents the IHeartRadio Album Release Party With Justin Timberlake" (1.156 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.4, #13) and a new "Cult" (0.715 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.2, #14) on The CW (0.935 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.3, #5) rounded out the night. In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Timberlake" delivered a 0.5 rating at 8:00/7:00c and "Cult" a 0.3 rating at 9:00/8:00c.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+40.00% - Malibu Country
+28.57% - Rock Center With Brian Williams
+23.08% - Last Man Standing
+16.67% - Touch
+14.29% - 20/20
0.00% - Grimm
-12.50% - Fashion Star
-33.33% - Cult

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+100.00% - Grimm (vs. Grimm (Repeat))
+6.67% - Last Man Standing (vs. Shark Tank)
0.00% - Rock Center With Brian Williams (vs. Dateline NBC)
0.00% - 20/20
-6.67% - Malibu Country (vs. Shark Tank)
-21.43% - NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Update
-22.22% - Touch (vs. Fringe)
-30.00% - Fashion Star (vs. Who Do You Think You Are?)
-50.00% - NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Iona vs. Ohio State
-61.29% - NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Iowa State vs. Notre Dame
-66.67% - Cult (vs. Supernatural)

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," 2.7/6; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 1.2/4 with an encore delayed by basketball; and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 2.2/5.

* In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 Wednesday results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 0.8/3; "Late Show," 0.4/2 with an encore delayed by basketball; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.7/3.

* 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" (1.4/4 in metered-market households) beat CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (0.7/3 with an encore delayed by basketball). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.5/3 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.2/2 with an encore delayed by basketball).

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

Here are the highlights of the 13 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (3/23/12):

CBS (6.53 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.2, #1) was the network to beat on Friday with its coverage of the "NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Baylor vs. Xavier" (5.87 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.8, #2), "NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Update" (4.62 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.4, #6) and "NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Kentucky vs. Indiana" (8.48 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.1, #1).

ABC (5.51 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.6, #2) then claimed the silver with fresh installments of "Shark Tank" (5.95 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.5, #5), "Primetime: What Would You Do?" (5.19 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T3) and "20/20" (5.40 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.6, #T3).

Next up was FOX (2.97 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.0, #3) with the return of "Kitchen Nightmares" (3.06 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T7) and "Fringe" (2.88 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T9) - both season lows.

Meanwhile, NBC (4.50 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.9, #4) offered up a new "Who Do You Think You Are?" (5.79 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T7), a repeat of "Grimm" (3.34 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.7, #11) and a new "Dateline NBC" (4.36 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T9).

And finally, originals of "Nikita" (1.56 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.5, #13) and "Supernatural" (1.57 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.6, #12) on The CW (1.56 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.5, #5) closed out the night.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+14.29% - 20/20
+6.67% - Primetime: What Would You Do?
0.00% - Who Do You Think You Are? (vs. 3/9/12)
0.00% - Nikita
-10.00% - Dateline NBC
-11.76% - Shark Tank
-14.29% - Supernatural
-25.00% - Fringe (vs. 2/24/12)
-33.33% - Kitchen Nightmares (vs. 2/24/12)

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+25.00% - Shark Tank
+23.08% - Primetime: What Would You Do?
+20.00% - Supernatural (vs. Supernatural (Repeat))
+14.29% - 20/20
0.00% - Nikita (vs. Smallville (Repeat))
-23.08% - Who Do You Think You Are?
-33.33% - Kitchen Nightmares
-40.00% - Fringe
-50.00% - Dateline NBC

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," 2.8/7; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 1.9/5 with an encore delayed by basketball; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 3.3/8; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.6/4.

In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 0.8/4 with an encore; "Late Show," 0.7/4 with an encore delayed by basketball; "Nightline," 1.0/4; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.5/3.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.3/4 in metered-market household) beat CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.0/4 with an encore delayed by basketball). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.6/3 in 18-4) topped "Late Late Show" (0.4/3 with an encore delayed by basketball).

At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 1.0/4 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