nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for wednesday, may 15, 2013)

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

FOX (9.337 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.6, #1) was still the network to beat on Wednesday with its penultimate telecast of "American Idol" (11.566 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.9, #2) this season and night two of the "So You Think You Can Dance" (7.107 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.3, #4) premiere.

ABC (6.374 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.0, #2) then claimed the silver with its mix of "The Middle" (6.600 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.9, #T7), "Family Tools" (4.513 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.2, #12), "Modern Family" (9.745 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.5, #1), "How to Live with Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life)" (6.159 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.0, #T5) and "Nashville" (5.614 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.8, #9).

Next up was CBS (7.941 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.9, #3) with repeats of "2 Broke Girls" (3.868 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.0, #14) and another "2 Broke Girls" (3.921 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.1, #13) (3.921 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.1, #12) plus a new "Criminal Minds" (10.310 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.5, #3) and the season finale of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (9.618 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.0, #T5).

Meanwhile, NBC (6.334 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.6, #4) offered up its lineup of "Dateline NBC" (5.778 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.3, #11), "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (6.354 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.5, #10) and "Chicago Fire" (6.869 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.9, #T7).

And finally, the season finales of "Arrow" (2.654 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T15) and "Supernatural" (2.363 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T15) on The CW (2.508 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.9, #5) closed out the night. In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Arrow" delivered a 0.6 rating at 8:00/7:00c and "Supernatural" a 0.7 rating at 9:00/8:00c.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+12.90% - Modern Family
+12.50% - Nashville
+9.09% - Family Tools
+5.56% - Chicago Fire
+5.56% - The Middle
+3.57% - American Idol
0.00% - Criminal Minds
0.00% - How to Live with Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life)
0.00% - Arrow
0.00% - Supernatural
-9.09% - CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
-21.05% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+125.00% - Arrow (vs. America's Next Top Model (Repeat))
+87.50% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (vs. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (Repeat))
+80.00% - Supernatural (vs. America's Next Top Model)
+11.76% - Chicago Fire (vs. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit)
0.00% - The Middle
0.00% - How to Live with Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life) (vs. Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23)
-10.00% - Nashville (vs. Revenge)
-10.26% - Modern Family
-10.34% - Dateline NBC (vs. Betty White's Off Their Rockers/Betty White's Off Their Rockers)
-28.57% - Criminal Minds
-33.33% - Family Tools (vs. Suburgatory)
-39.58% - American Idol
-42.86% - CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (vs. Criminal Minds)
-52.08% - So You Think You Can Dance (vs. 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," 2.8/7; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.3/6; and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 2.0/5.

* In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 Wednesday results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 0.9/4; "Late Show," 0.5/2; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.8/4.

* From 12:35-1:05 a.m. ET Wednesday night, ABC's "Nightline" averaged a 1.3/4 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" (1.5/5 in metered-market households) beat CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.2/4). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.6/4 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.3/2).

* At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.9/4 in metered-market households with an encore and a 0.5/4 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

Here are the highlights of the 15 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (5/16/12):

FOX (17.29 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.8, #1) dominated the competition on Wednesday thanks to a two-hour "American Idol" (17.29 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.8, #1). Said numbers marked the highest-rated telecast so far during the sweeps period among adults 18-49 and its highest total viewers in seven weeks.

CBS (10.39 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.7, #2) then claimed a distant second place with repeats of "Mike & Molly" (4.46 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T11) and "Rules of Engagement" (4.02 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T11) followed by the two-hour season finale of "Criminal Minds" (13.47 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.5, #3).

Next up was ABC (6.62 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.3, #3) with a new "The Middle" (6.49 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.9, #6) - matching its season low, the season finale of "Suburgatory" (5.42 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.8, #7) and originals of "Modern Family" (9.30 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.9, #2), "Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23" (4.84 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 2.0, #T4) - also matching its season low - and "Revenge" (6.85 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.0, #T4).

Meanwhile, NBC (4.53 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.3, #4) offered up a new "Betty White's Off Their Rockers" (5.11 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.4, #10), a second new "Betty White's Off Their Rockers" (5.40 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.5, #9), a repeat of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (2.84 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.8, #13) and an original "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (5.50 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.7, #8).

And finally, The CW (0.95 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.4, #5) offered up a repeat of "America's Next Top Model" (0.80 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.4, #15) followed by an original "America's Next Top Model" (1.10 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.5, #14). In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Top Model" delivered a 0.5 rating at 8:00/7:00c and a 0.7 rating at 9:00/8:00c.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+25.00% - Criminal Minds
+25.00% - America's Next Top Model
9.09% - American Idol
0.00% - The Middle
0.00% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
-6.25% - Betty White's Off Their Rockers - 8:30
-6.67% - Betty White's Off Their Rockers - 8:00
-9.09% - Revenge
-9.30% - Modern Family
-13.04% - Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23
-14.29% - Suburgatory

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+50.00% - Betty White's Off Their Rockers - 8:30 (vs. Minute to Win It)
+40.00% - Betty White's Off Their Rockers - 8:00 (vs. Minute to Win It)
+37.93% - Revenge (vs. Happy Endings (10:00)/Happy Endings (10:30))
+32.08% - Criminal Minds (vs. Criminal Minds/Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior)
0.00% - Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 (vs. Cougar Town)
0.00% - Suburgatory (vs. The Middle (Repeat))
-2.50% - Modern Family
-20.83% - The Middle
-33.33% - American Idol
-37.50% - America's Next Top Model
-39.29% - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

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," 2.6/7; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.5/6; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 3.1/8; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.5/4.

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," 1.1/5; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.6/3.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.3/5 in metered-market households) tied CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.3/5). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.5/3 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.4/2).

At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.9/4 in metered-market households and a 0.3/3 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

Source: Nielsen Media Research