nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for thursday, march 28, 2013)

Here are the highlights of the 16 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.]

FOX (7.530 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.0, #3) was the most-watched network on Thursday thanks to a new "American Idol" (11.029 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.7, #3) followed by a new "Raising Hope" (4.566 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T7) and the season finale of "Raising Hope" (3.496 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T9).

ABC (7.053 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.3, #T1) however snagged the demo crown with its mix of "Wife Swap" (4.274 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T7), "Grey's Anatomy" (8.832 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.8, #2) and "Scandal" (8.053 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.6, #4).

CBS (6.917 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.3, #T1) likewise shared top adults 18-49 honors with its coverage of "NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Marquette vs. Miami" (6.569 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.1, #5), "NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Update" (5.276 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.7, #6) and "NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Syracuse vs. Indiana" (8.261 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.9, #1).

Next up was NBC (2.621 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.8, #4) with a repeat of "Community" (2.353 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T12), a new "1600 Penn" (1.894 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T12), a repeat of "The Office" (1.662 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T12), the season finale of "1600 Penn" (1.889 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.7, #T12) and a repeat "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (3.964 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.0, #11).

And finally, originals from "The Vampire Diaries" (2.426 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T9) and "Beauty and the Beast" (1.554 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.6, #16) on The CW (1.990 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.9, #5) closed out the evening.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
0.00% - The Vampire Diaries
-3.45% - Grey's Anatomy
-3.57% - American Idol
-3.70% - Scandal
-6.67% - Raising Hope - 9:00 (vs. 2/26/13)
-12.50% - 1600 Penn - 9:30
-14.29% - Raising Hope - 9:30 (vs. 2/26/13)
-14.29% - Beauty and the Beast
-17.65% - Wife Swap
-22.22% - 1600 Penn - 8:30

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+188.89% - Scandal (vs. Private Practice (Repeat))
+133.33% - Grey's Anatomy (vs. Grey's Anatomy (Repeat))
+9.09% - The Vampire Diaries
+7.41% - NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Syracuse vs. Indiana (vs. The Mentalist)
0.00% - Beauty and the Beast (vs. The Secret Circle)
0.00% - Wife Swap (vs. Missing)
-35.71% - American Idol
-40.51% - NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Marquette vs. Miami (vs. The Big Bang Theory/Rules of Engagement/Person of Interest)
-46.15% - 1600 Penn - 9:30 (vs. Up All Night)
-48.48% - NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Update (vs. Person of Interest)
-50.00% - Raising Hope - 9:00 (vs. Touch)
-53.33% - 1600 Penn - 8:30 (vs. 30 Rock)
-57.14% - Raising Hope - 9:30 (vs. Touch)

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

TBA

Here are the highlights of the 16 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (3/29/12):

FOX (12.20 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.5, #1) took home top demo honors on Thursday thanks to new episodes of "American Idol" (15.27 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.2, #2) and "Touch" (9.13 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.8, #T4).

CBS (13.04 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.2, #2) then was the most-watched network with the post-NCAA returns of "The Big Bang Theory" (13.64 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 4.5, #1) - tied as its season low, "Rules of Engagement" (8.82 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.8, #T4), "Person of Interest" (14.41 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.3, #3) and "The Mentalist" (13.48 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.7, #6).

Next up was NBC (3.11 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.3, #3) with new episodes of "Community" (3.63 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.7, #7) and "30 Rock" (3.20 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.5, #8) followed by a repeat of "The Office" (2.60 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T11) and new episodes of "Up All Night" (2.95 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.3, #10) - a series low - and "Awake" (3.13 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.0, #14) - likewise a series low.

Meanwhile, ABC (4.91 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.2, #4) offered up a new "Missing" (7.72 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.4, #9) plus repeats of "Grey's Anatomy" (4.21 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T11) and "Private Practice" (2.81 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.9, #15).

And finally on The CW (1.85 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.9, #5), originals of "The Vampire Diaries" (2.36 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.1, #13) and "The Secret Circle" (1.34 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.6, #16) closed out the night. In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Diaries" posted a 1.7 rating while "Circle" delivered a 0.9 rating.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+5.00% - American Idol
+3.70% - Rules of Engagement (vs. 12/15/11)
0.00% - Community
0.00% - 30 Rock
-2.94% - Person of Interest (vs. 3/8/12)
-3.57% - The Mentalist (vs. 3/8/12)
-7.14% - Up All Night
-11.76% - The Big Bang Theory (vs. 3/8/12)
-12.50% - Touch
-12.50% - Missing
-14.29% - The Secret Circle
-15.38% - The Vampire Diaries
-16.67% - Awake

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+120.00% - The Vampire Diaries (vs. The Vampire Diaries (Repeat))
+88.89% - Community (vs. Community (Repeat))
+50.00% - 30 Rock (vs. Perfect Couples)
+50.00% - The Secret Circle (vs. Nikita (Repeat))
+25.00% - The Big Bang Theory
+21.74% - Rules of Engagement
+18.18% - Up All Night (vs. Parks & Recreation (Repeat))
+17.86% - Person of Interest (vs. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation)
0.00% - Awake (vs. 30 Rock (Repeat)/Outsourced (Repeat))
-3.57% - The Mentalist
-26.32% - Touch (vs. Mobbed)
-26.32% - Missing (vs. Spring Wipeout)
-37.31% - American Idol

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," 2.5/7; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.6/7; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 2.9/7; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.4/4.

In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 0.8/4; "Late Show," 0.7/3; "Nightline," 0.8/4; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.4/2.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.4/5 in metered-market household) beat CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.3/5 with an encore). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.6/4 in 18-4) topped "Late Late Show" (0.4/3 with an encore).

At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.9/4 in metered-market households and a 0.4/3 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters

Source: Nielsen Media Research