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

Here are the highlights of the 14 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night (9/5/19):

NBC (19.564 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 6.2, #1) kicked off the NFL season on top with its special editions of "NFL Kickoff 2019" (17.092 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 5.0, #3), "Sunday Night Football Pre-Kick" (20.926 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 6.3, #2) and "Sunday Night Football" (19.841 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 6.5, #1).

The silver then went to CBS (3.613 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.7, #2) with its mix of "Young Sheldon" (4.097 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T5), another "Young Sheldon" (3.955 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T5), "Big Brother 21" (4.163 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.0, #4) and "FBI" (2.652 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T8).

Next up was FOX (2.209 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.5, #3) with a new "Spin the Wheel" (2.088 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T8) and the season finale of "Spin the Wheel" (2.329 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T5).

Meanwhile, ABC (1.523 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.3, #4) offered up the feature "The Lego Movie" (1.508 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.4, #T8) plus the penultimate "Reef Break" (1.553 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.3, #11).

And finally, new episodes of "The Outpost" (0.685 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.1, #T12) and "Two Sentence Horror Stories" (0.591 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.1, #T12) alongside a repeat "Two Sentence Horror Stories" (0.500 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.1, #T12) rounded out the night on The CW (0.615 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.1, #5).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
-16.67% - Spin the Wheel (vs. 8/15/19)
-28.57% - Big Brother 21
-50.00% - Reef Break
-66.67% - The Outpost
-66.67% - Two Sentence Horror Stories

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+66.67% - Spin the Wheel (vs. The Gifted (Repeat))
+28.21% - NFL Kickoff 2019
+14.55% - Sunday Night Football Pre-Kick
0.00% - Two Sentence Horror Stories (vs. The Originals (Repeat))
-1.52% - Sunday Night Football
-20.00% - Spin the Wheel (vs. MasterChef (Repeat))
-25.00% - Reef Break (vs. Take Two)
-28.57% - Big Brother 21
-50.00% - The Outpost (vs. Supernatural (Repeat))

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

· On the night of NBC's primetime coverage of the Packers-Bears NFL Kickoff game, "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" has outscored the combined results for "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" and "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in the key adult 18-49 demographic, while also topping the ABC-CBS competition in total viewers.

· "Tonight's" 0.96 rating last night in adults 18-49 (for a telecast delayed to a 12:17 a.m. ET start by the NFL overrun) easily topped Colbert's 0.38 and Kimmel's 0.33. Fallon also prevailed in total viewers with 2.960 million versus 2.802 million for Colbert and 1.590 million for Kimmel.

· It's the top-rated "Tonight" original in 18-49 since last Thanksgiving (1.43 on Thursday, Nov. 22, 2018) and most-watched "Tonight" since Dec. 18, 2018 (3.494 million with guest Michelle Obama, following the "Voice" finale in primetime).

· Fallon was up +167% last night versus the show's summer-to-date average for originals in 18-49 (0.96 vs. 0.36) and +60% in total viewers (2.960 million vs. 1.854 million).

· "Late Night with Seth Meyers" (0.53 in 18-49, 1.690 million viewers overall) aired at 1:19 a.m. ET last night and still beat the 11:30 telecasts of Colbert and Kimmel in the key 18-49 demographic, while also beating Kimmel in total viewers.

· These were Seth's best results since last Thanksgiving (0.72 in 18-49, 2.411 million viewers overall). The delayed Thursday "Late Night" generated increases versus the show's summer-to-date average for original weeks of +165% in 18-49 (0.53 vs, 0.20) and +63% in total viewers 2+ (1.690 million vs. 1.035 million).

Here are the highlights of the 14 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (9/6/18):

[Note: Fast affiliate ratings are inaccurate for live sports.]

NBC (17.283 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 6.0, #1) claimed the top spot on Thursday thanks to its coverage of "NFL Kickoff 2018" (11.909 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.9, #3), "Sunday Night Football Pre-Kick" (15.957 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 5.5, #2) and "Sunday Night Football" (18.958 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 6.6, #1).

CBS (4.644 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.0, #2) then was a distant second with its mix of "The Big Bang Theory" (6.048 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T5), "Young Sheldon" (5.598 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T5), "Big Brother 20" (5.187 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.4, #4) and "SWAT" (2.923 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T9).

Next up was ABC (3.349 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.6, #3) and a repeat "Celebrity Family Feud" (4.368 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.8, #7) followed by the penultimate weeks of "Match Game" (3.273 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.6, #8) and "Take Two" (2.406 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.4, #11).

Meanwhile, FOX (1.441 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.4, #4) served up encores of "MasterChef" (1.720 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T9) and "The Gifted" (1.163 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.3, #12).

And finally, The CW (0.622 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.1, #5) likewise opted for second runs of "Supernatural" (0.774 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.2, #13) and "The Originals" (0.471 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.1, #14).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
-22.22% - Big Brother 20
-25.00% - Match Game (vs. 8/16/18)
-50.00% - Take Two

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
0.00% - Match Game (vs. Battle of the Network Stars)
-8.33% - Sunday Night Football
-11.36% - NFL Kickoff 2018
-20.00% - Take Two (vs. The Gong Show)
-22.22% - Big Brother 20
-22.54% - Sunday Night Football Pre-Kick

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

"The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," (2.3 rating in households from 1:15-2:15 a.m. ET, 1.0 in 18-49 in the local people meters):

· Is currently scoring the show's highest metered-market household and 18-49 ratings in seven months (since Friday, Feb. 9, 3.2 in metered-market households, 1.4 in 18-49 in the local people meters the night of the PyeongChang Olympic Opening Ceremony).

· In Nielsen's 56 metered markets, household results were: "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," 2.3 rating, delayed by an NFL overrun; "Late Show with Stephen Colbert," 2.4/6; and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.6/4.

· In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," 1.0 rating, delayed by an NFL overrun; "Late Show," 0.4/2; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.3/2.

· From 12:35-1:05 a.m. ET, ABC's "Nightline" averaged a 1.0/4 in metered-market households and a 0.2/2 in 18-49 in the Local People Meters.

· From 12:35-1:35 a.m. ET, ratings were: " Late Night with Seth Meyers," 1.5 rating in metered-market households, delayed by an NFL overrun and currently excluding the show's final quarter-hour; CBS' "Late Late Show," 1.0/4. In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, averages were: "Late Night," 0.6 in 18-49, delayed by an NFL overrun and currently excluding the show's final quarter-hour; "Late Late Show," 0.2/2.

Source: Nielsen Media Research