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[12/29/14 - 08:55 AM]
Sunday's Broadcast Ratings: "Sunday Night Football" Signs Off on Top for NBC
By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)

Primetime Preliminary Fast National Nielsen Data
(includes all DVR playback through 3:00 am)

Here are the highlights of the 19 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night (12/28/14):

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Due to the nature of live sports, Fast Nationals for FOX (7-8p), CBS (7-8p) and NBC for the entire night are approximate.]

NBC (14.956 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.7, #1) wrapped the final Sunday of 2014 on top with the season finales of "Football Night in America #1" (5.470 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T10), "Football Night in America #2" (7.684 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 2.3, #T5), "Football Night in America #3" (14.530 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 4.6, #4) and "Sunday Night Football" (18.392 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 5.8, #2).

FOX (9.082 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.1, #2) then claimed the silver with its mix of "NFL Overrun" (23.174 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 7.0, #1), "The OT" (16.833 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 5.3, #3) and repeats of "The Simpsons" (5.756 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 2.3, #T5), "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" (3.111 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.3, #14), "Family Guy" (3.088 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T12) and "Bob's Burgers" (2.527 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 1.2, #15).

Next up was CBS (9.269 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.7, #3) with "NFL Overrun" (9.838 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.3, #T5), a new "60 Minutes" (10.789 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.8, #8), the Friday-bound "Undercover Boss" (9.387 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.7, #9), the Wednesday-bound "The Mentalist" (8.136 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.4, #T12) and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (7.694 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T10).

And finally, repeats of "America's Funniest Home Videos" (5.886 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.1, #16), "Revenge" (1.937 million viewers, #17; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T17), another "Revenge" (1.544 million viewers, #19; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T17) and yet another "Revenge" (1.641 million viewers, #18; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T17) on ABC (2.752 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.5, #4) closed out the evening.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+15.38% - CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
+13.33% - Undercover Boss
+11.54% - Sunday Night Football
+4.55% - Football Night in America #3
0.00% - The Mentalist
-25.81% - Football Night in America #2
-28.57% - Football Night in America #1
-37.93% - 60 Minutes

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+66.67% - CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (vs. The 36th Annual Kennedy Center Honors)
+55.56% - The Mentalist (vs. The 36th Annual Kennedy Center Honors)
+13.33% - Undercover Boss (vs. 60 Minutes)
-21.05% - Football Night in America #1
-25.81% - Football Night in America #3
-25.81% - Football Night in America #2
-28.40% - Sunday Night Football
-55.00% - 60 Minutes (vs. NFL Overrun)


Here are the highlights of the 15 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (12/29/13):

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Due to the nature of live sports, Fast Nationals for FOX (from 7-8p), CBS & NBC are approximate.]

NBC (21.049 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 7.1, #1) was of course the network to beat on Sunday with its season finales of "Football Night in America #1" (6.485 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.9, #8), "Football Night in America #2" (9.378 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 3.1, #6), "Football Night in America #3" (18.692 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 6.2, #3) and "Sunday Night Football" (23.855 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 8.1, #1).

FOX (8.734 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.9, #2) then took home a distant silver with its mix of "NFL Overrun" (21.738 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 6.4, #2), "The OT" (14.546 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 4.5, #4), "The Simpsons" (5.908 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 2.2, #7), another "The Simpsons" (4.219 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T9), "Family Guy" (3.831 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.7, #T9) and "Animation Domination High-Def" (2.162 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T14).

Next up was CBS (9.782 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.8, #3) with a full hour of "NFL Overrun" (15.709 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 4.0, #5) followed by "60 Minutes" (9.240 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.5, #11) and "The 36th Annual Kennedy Center Honors" (7.091 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T14).

And finally, ABC (4.229 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.1, #4) rounded out the night with encores of "America's Funniest Home Videos" (5.787 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T12) and "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" (3.710 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T12).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+51.22% - Football Night in America #3
+47.27% - Sunday Night Football
+40.91% - Football Night in America #2
+26.67% - Football Night in America #1

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
-3.23% - The 36th Annual Kennedy Center Honors
-6.06% - Football Night in America #2
-11.96% - Sunday Night Football
-12.68% - Football Night in America #3
-17.39% - Football Night in America #1

Source: Nielsen Media Research





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