Fast National ratings for Sunday, August 19, 2012.
An NFL preseason showdown between the Colts and Steelers helped NBC comfortably win Sunday primetime in all key measures.
Among adults 18-49, NBC averaged a 2.6 rating, far ahead of FOX’s 1.4 rating in the key demographic. CBS was third with a 1.2 key demo rating, beating the 1.0 key demo rating for ABC.
Overall, NBC averaged an estimated 8.13 million viewers and a 5.2 rating/9 share for Sunday night. CBS was in second overall with nearly 5.6 million viewers and a 3.7/6. ABC was third with a 2.3/4 and 3.66 million viewers, while FOX averaged a 1.7/3 and 3 million viewers for the night.
7 p.m. – CBS was first overall to start the night with “60 Minutes” averaging 7.72 million viewers and tying for second with a 1.1 rating among adults 18-49. NBC’s “Dateline” was second overall with 5.75 million viewers and won the hour with a 1.5 key demo rating. ABC’s “America’s Funniest Home Videos” repeat was third with 4.81 million viewers and did a 1.1key demo rating, while FOX’s repeats of “American Dad” and “The Cleveland Show” averaged 1.93 million viewers and a 0.9 key demo rating.
8 p.m. – The start of NBC’s NFL preseason game averaged 9.84 million viewers and a 3.2 rating among adults 18-49 to win the 8 p.m. hour. CBS got a strong 6.5 million viewers and a 2.3 key demo rating for “Big Brother.” There was a big drop to FOX’s repeats of “The Simpsons,” which averaged 3.24 million viewers and a 1.4 key demo rating. ABC trailed with 2.775 million viewers and a 0.6 key demo rating for a repeat of “Once Upon a Time.”
9 p.m. – NBC’s Indianapolis-Pittsburgh football game averaged 9.53 million viewers and a 3.3 rating among adults 18-49 in the 9 p.m. hour. FOX was a distant second with 3.84 million viewers and a 1.9 key demo rating. CBS’ repeat of “The Good Wife” averaged 3.575 million viewers and a 0.6 key demo rating, compared to the 3.21 million viewers and 1.0 key demo rating for ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition.”
10 p.m. – NBC’s preseason football dipped to 7.41 million viewers and a 2.4 rating among adults 18-49 in the 10 p.m. hour. CBS’ repeat of “The Mentalist” was second overall with 4.59 million viewers and third with a 0.8 key demo rating. ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition” was second in the key demo with a 1.3 rating and third with 3.83 million viewers.
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.