Fast National ratings for Sunday, November 4, 2012.
The Sunday Night Football showdown between the undefeated Falcons and reliably popular Cowboys gave NBC its biggest pigskin audience in over a month and carried the network to an easy Sunday win in all measures.
NBC’s only real competition came from CBS, which was boosted by the decision to run double-header football into primetime on Sunday nights.
Meanwhile, ABC’s “Once Upon a Time” was up, but its Sunday drama colleagues “Revenge” and “666 Park Avenue” both had small drops.
On to the numbers…
Among adults 18-49, NBC averaged a 6.1 rating, far ahead of CBS’ 3.3 rating in the key demographic. ABC averaged a 2.3 key demo rating, while FOX averaged a 2.0 key demo rating for Sunday night.
Overall, NBC averaged an estimated 15.86 million viewers and a 9.7 rating/15 share for Sunday primetime, topping the 8.6/13 and 13.68 million viewers for CBS. ABC was a distant third with a 4.4/7 and 7.22 million viewers, topping FOX’s 2.5/4 and 4.4 million viewers.
7 p.m. – CBS started primetime in first with 22.18 million viewers and a 6.4 rating among adults 18-49 for football and the first half of “60 Minutes.” NBC’s “Football Night in America” averaged 9.07 million viewers and a 3.3 key demo rating (on the high side, reflecting a competitive game that looped back into West Coast primetime, maybe?). ABC’s “America’s Funniest Home Videos” was third overall with 6.97 million viewers and tied for third with a 1.7 key demo rating. FOX was fourth with a repeat of “The Simpsons” (3.7 million viewers and a 1.5 key demo) and the season premiere of “The Cleveland Show” (4.09 million and a 1.9 key demo).
8 p.m. – NBC’s football averaged 17.88 million viewers and a 6.7 rating among adults 18-49 to win the 8 p.m. hour. CBS was second overall and third in the demo with “60 Minutes” (15.67 million and a 3.2 key demo) and “The Amazing Race” (10.69 million viewers and a 2.7 key demo). ABC’s “Once Upon a Time” averaged 10.1 million viewers for third and a strong 3.5 key demo rating for second. FOX’s “The Simpsons” (5.565 million viewers and a 2.6 key demo) and “Bob’s Burgers” (3.99 million and a 1.8 key demo) finished fourth.
9 p.m. – The Falcons and Cowboys averaged 19.22 million viewers and a 7.3 rating among adults 18-49 for NBC in the 9 p.m. hour. CBS remained second overall and dropped to fourth in the key demo with “The Amazing Race” (9.87 million viewers and a 2.3 key demo) and “The Good Wife” (9.24 million and a 1.6 key demo). ABC’s “Revenge” averaged 7.74 million viewers for third and a 2.6 key demo rating for second. FOX’s “Family Guy” (5.07 million and a 2.5 key demo rating) and “American Dad” (3.99 million and a 1.9 key demo) were fourth overall and third in the key demo.
10 p.m. – Sunday Night Football closed strong with 17.27 million viewers and a 7.0 rating among adults 18-49 for NBC in the 10 p.m. hour. CBS was second with 9.8 million viewers and a 1.8 key demo rating for “The Mentalist.” ABC’s “666 Park Avenue” dropped to 4.07 million viewers and a 1.4 key demo rating.
All ratings information comes from preliminary Fast National Nielsen data, which includes live and same-day DVR viewing. All numbers are subject to change, particularly in the case of live events.