Fast National ratings for Sunday, October 12, 2014.
A one-sided Sunday Night Football rivalry game between the Giants and Eagles dominated Sunday primetime in all measures, with NBC's only competition coming from FOX, which was boosted by NFL overrun.
FOX's football overrun definitely played a big role in the week-to-week growth for “The Simpsons” and the ripple continued with “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and even “Mulaney” rising in Fast Nationals.
Most of the night's other network returns were on the low side, with “Once Upon a Time,” Resurrection” and “Revenge” all slipping for ABC and “Madam Secretary” and “The Good Wife” probably dropping for CBS, though football makes those CBS numbers a bit murky.
And yes, it's fairly certain that Sunday's top program was actually AMC's “The Walking Dead” premiere, but those numbers won't be available until later.
On to the network primetime figures…
Among adults 18-49, NBC averaged a 4.8 rating for Sunday night, tops in the key demographic. FOX's 3.7 key demo rating was second, ABC's 1.6 key demo rating and the 1.4 key demo rating for CBS.
Overall, NBC averaged an estimated 13.47 million viewers and an 8.1 rating/13 share for Sunday primetime. CBS' 6.4/10 and 10.09 million viewers held off the 5.6/9 and 9.61 million viewers for FOX. ABC averaged 5.82 million viewers and a 3.4/6 for the night.
7 p.m. – FOX started primetime in first with 20.09 million viewers and a 7.1 rating among adults 18-49 for NFL overrun and “The OT.” CBS' “60 Minutes” was second overall with 9.73 million viewers and third with a 1.3 key demo rating. NBC's “Football Night in America” was third with 5.68 million viewers and second with a 1.9 key demo rating. ABC's “America's Funniest Home Videos” premiere averaged 5.485 million viewers and a 1.2 key demo rating.
8 p.m. – The start of Sunday Night Football pushed NBC into first in the 8 p.m. hour with 16.01 million viewers and a 5.6 rating among adults 18-49. CBS' “Madam Secretary” was second with 11.45 million viewers and fourth with a 1.5 key demo rating. ABC's “Once Upon a Time” slipped to 7.73 million viewers and a 2.6 key demo rating for third. FOX was fourth overall and second in the key demo with “The Simpsons” (7.34 million and a 3.3 key demo rating) and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (4.52 million and a 2.1 key demo).
9 p.m. – The second hour of NBC's Giants/Eagles coverage rose to 17.82 million viewers and a 6.5 rating among adults 18-49 in the 9 p.m. hour. CBS' “The Good Wife” averaged 10.315 million viewers for second and a 1.3 key demo rating for fourth. ABC's “Resurrection” was down to 5.47 million viewers and a 1.4 key demo rating, almost certainly hampered by AMC's back-from-the-dead smash. FOX was fourth overall and tied for second in the key demo with a “Family Guy” repeat (3.44 million and a 1.7 key demo) and a new “Mulaney” (2.19 million and above The Mulaney Line to a 1.1 key demo).
10 p.m. – NBC's football coverage closed primetime with 14.36 million viewers and a 5.3 rating among adults 18-49. CBS' “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” averaged 8.85 million viewers and a 1.4 key demo rating, possibly up from last week. ABC's “Revenge” averaged 4.59 million viewers and a 1.2 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.