TV Ratings: Basketball helps CBS hold off ABC, ‘Once Upon a Time’ on Sunday

Fast National ratings for Sunday, March 25, 2012.

The ending of the NCAA Tournament Elite 8 game between Kansas and North Carolina tip-toed into Sunday primetime and gave CBS the boost it needed to hold off second place ABC, which was led by “Once Upon a Time.”

Among adults 18-49, CBS averaged a 2.3 rating, edging out ABC’s 2.2 rating in the key demographic. FOX’s 1.7 rating and the 1.4 rating for NBC followed.

Overall, CBS had a bit more of a cushion, averaging a 6.5 rating/11 share to go with 10.16 million viewers for Sunday primetime, beating the 7.48 million viewers and 4.6/8 for ABC. NBC was third with a 4.2/7 and 6.41 million viewers, well ahead of FOX’s 2.2/4 and 3.74 million viewers.

[Univision averaged 2.94 million viewers and a 1.0 rating among adults 18-49 for Sunday night.]

7 p.m. – CBS’ NCAA overrun was around 18 minutes for the Eastern and Central time zones and helped boost “60 Minutes to 11.99 million viewers and a 2.9 rating among adults 18-49. ABC’s “America’s Funniest Home Videos” was second overall with 6.05 million viewers and third with a 1.2 key demo rating. NBC’s “Dateline” was third with 5.64 million viewers and fourth with a 1.0 key demo rating. FOX was a distant second in the key demo and fourth overall with a “Simpsons” repeat (2.34 million viewers and a 1.0 key demo rating) and a new “The Cleveland Show” (3.14 million viewers and a 1.5 key demo rating).

8 p.m. – “The Amazing Race” (and a chunk of “60 Minutes”) won the 8 p.m. hour overall for CBS with 9.85 million viewers and finished second with a 2.6 rating among adults 18-49. ABC’s “Once Upon a Time” averaged 8.67 million viewers and won the hour with a 2.8 key demo rating, still strong numbers, though the drama has yet to fully bounce back since the shift to Daylight Savings Time. NBC’s “Harry’s Law” averaged a very respectable 8.03 million viewers and a not-even-slightly-respectable 0.8 key demo rating. FOX was a distant fourth overall and third in the key demo with a “Simpsons” repeat (4.12 million viewers and a 1.9 key demo rating) and a new “Bob’s Burgers” (encouragingly holding its own with 3.96 million viewers and a 2.0 key demo rating). 

9 p.m. – CBS stayed in first for the 9 p.m. hour with 9.32 million viewers for “The Good Wife” (and “The Amazing Race”), which was third with a 1.9  rating among adults 18-49. ABC’s “Desperate Housewives” averaged 8.71 million viewers and an hour-winning 2.6 key demo rating. There was a drop to NBC’s “Celebrity Apprentice” with 5.36 million viewers and a fourth place 1.5 key demo rating. FOX’s “Family Guy” repeat (4.615 million and a 2.1 key demo) and a new “American Dad” (4.27 million and a 2.0 key demo) were second in the demo and fourth overall.

10 p.m. – “CSI: Miami” (and “The Good Wife”) won the 10 p.m. hour overall with 9.47 million viewers and finished third with a 2.0 rating among adults 18-49. NBC’s “Celebrity Apprentice” was up slightly from last week with 6.62 million viewers and a 2.1 key demo rating. Also getting a small bump was ABC’s “GCB,” which averaged 6.49 million viewers and won the hour with a 2.2 key demo rating.