nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for wednesday, september 4, 2013)

Here are the highlights of the 15 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night:

FOX (5.171 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.0, #1) lead the demo charge on Wednesday with a new "MasterChef" (4.863 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.9, #4) and a second "MasterChef" (5.480 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.1, #3).

NBC (6.519 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.6, #2) then was the top overall draw with a repeat of "America's Got Talent" (6.150 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.4, #5), a new "America's Got Talent" (9.890 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.3, #1) and the penultimate "Camp" (3.517 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T9).

Next up was CBS (5.681 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.4, #3) with a new "Big Brother 15" (0.000 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 2.2, #2) followed by repeats of "Criminal Minds" (0.000 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T9) and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (0.000 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T6).

Meanwhile, ABC (3.807 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.0, #4) served up second runs of "The Middle" (3.963 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.8, #13), another "The Middle" (3.921 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.9, #12), "Modern Family" (3.852 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T6), another "Modern Family" (3.488 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T6) and the season finale of "The Lookout" (3.810 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T9).

And finally, repeats of "Arrow" (1.149 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T14) and "Supernatural" (0.930 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T14) on The CW (1.039 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.3, #5) closed out the night. In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Arrow" delivered a 0.1 rating at 8:00/7:00c and "Supernatural" a 0.1 rating at 9:00/8:00c.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+25.00% - The Lookout
+11.11% - Camp
+10.00% - Big Brother 15
+4.55% - America's Got Talent
-5.00% - MasterChef - 8:00
-12.50% - MasterChef - 9:00

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+50.00% - MasterChef - 9:00 (vs. So You Think You Can Dance)
+35.71% - MasterChef - 8:00 (vs. So You Think You Can Dance)
+11.11% - The Lookout (vs. ABC News Special)
+4.76% - Big Brother 15
-73.56% - America's Got Talent (vs. Sunday Night Football)
-88.51% - Camp (vs. Sunday Night Football)

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," 2.3/6; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.0/6; and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.8/5..

· In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 0.7/3; "Late Show," 0.5/2; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.7/3.

· From 12:35-1:05 a.m. ET, ABC's "Nightline" averaged a 1.2/4 in metered-market households and a 0.4/3 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) beat CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.0/4). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.4/3 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.2/2).

· At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.7/3 in metered-market households with an encore and a 0.2/2 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 (9/5/12):

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Due to the nature of live sports, Fast Nationals for NBC are approximate.]

NBC (20.57 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 8.2, #1) overshadowed the competition on Wednesday with its coverage of "NFL Kickoff 2012" (14.33 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 5.5, #2) and the return of "Sunday Night Football" (21.81 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 8.7, #1).

FOX (4.14 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T2) and CBS (5.06 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T2) split the silver as the former offered up the Tuesday-bound "So You Think You Can Dance" (4.14 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.4, #4).

The Eye then offered up its mix of "Big Brother 14" (6.09 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.1, #3), "Criminal Minds" (5.16 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.2, #6) and a "CBS News Special" (3.94 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T9).

Next up was ABC (3.61 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.0, #4) with repeats of "The Middle" (4.55 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.1, #7), "Suburgatory" (3.28 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T9), "Modern Family" (3.78 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.3, #5), another "Suburgatory" (2.97 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.0, #8) and an "ABC News Special" (3.54 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T9).

And finally, The CW (0.96 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.4, #5) closed out the evening with a new "Oh Sit!" (1.14 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.4, #12) and a repeat of "Supernatural" (0.78 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.3, #13). In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Oh Sit!" delivered a 0.5 rating at 8:00/7:00c and "Supernatural" a 0.3 rating at 9:00/8:00c.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
0.00% - Oh Sit!
-8.70% - Big Brother 14
-12.50% - So You Think You Can Dance

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+330.69% - Sunday Night Football (vs. Minute to Win It/America's Got Talent/Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (Repeat))
+323.08% - NFL Kickoff 2012 (vs. Minute to Win It)
+12.00% - So You Think You Can Dance (vs. Buried Treasure/Buried Treasure (Repeat))
-20.00% - Oh Sit! (vs. America's Next Top Model (Repeat))
-25.00% - Big Brother 14

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," 2.8/9; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 1.6/5; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 2.2/6; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.2/4.

·In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 1.2/7; "Late Show," 0.4/2; "Nightline," 0.7/3; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.3/2.

·At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.6/7 in metered-market households) beat CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (0.9/3). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.7/5 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.2/2).

Source: Nielsen Media Research