Fast National ratings for Sunday, December 21, 2014.
A snoozer between the Seattle Seahawks and the QB-depleted Arizona Cardinals delivered relatively weak numbers for NBC, but Sunday Night Football still dominated primetime anyway.
NFL-inflated CBS finished second for the night, followed by ABC, which finished third thanks to “The Sound of Music: Sing-a-Long.” NFL helped inflate FOX's “Mulaney” ratings as well, with some sad, frustrated markets missing “Mulaney” entirely.
The CBS overrun was roughly 50 minutes in most marked on the right side of the country, so adjust accordingly.
On to the numbers…
Among adults 18-49, NBC averaged a 4.4 rating for Sunday night, easily beating CBS' 2.2 rating in the key demographic. ABC's 1.2 key demo rating and the 1.1 key demo rating for FOX trailed.
Overall, NBC averaged an estimated 14.01 million viewers and an 8.4 rating/14 share for Sunday night. CBS was a respectable second with 11.145 million viewers and 6.9/12, far ahead of the 5.58 million viewers and 3.3/6 for ABC. FOX's 1.5/3 and 2.58 million viewers trailed.
7 p.m. – CBS won the 7 p.m. hour with 16.47 million viewers and a 4.1 rating among adults 18-49 for NFL overrun and “60 Minutes.” [The breakout estimate for “60 Minutes” was 14.01 million viewers and a 2.9 key demo rating.] NBC's “Football Night in America” averaged 9.24 million viewers and a 2.6 key demo rating in second. The first hour of ABC's “Sound of Music” averaged 4.5 million viewers and a 0.9 key demo rating. FOX was fourth overall and third in the key demo with an NFL-inflated “Mulaney” (3.71 million viewers and a 1.2 key demo) and a “Bob's Burgers” repeat (2.08 million and a 0.9 key demo).
8 p.m. – NBC averaged 15.81 million viewers and a 4.9 rating among adults 18-49 for 20 minutes of “Football Night in America” and the start of the Seahawks-Cardinals game, winning the 8 p.m. hour. CBS' “60 Minutes” and “Undercover Boss” averaged 11.3 million viewers and a 1.9 key demo rating for second. [The breakout estimate for “Undercover Boss” was 9.22 million and a 1.5 key demo rating.] ABC's “Sound of Music” averaged 5.335 million viewers and a 1.2 key demo rating, topping the 2.55 million viewers and 1.0 key demo rating for FOX's repeats of “The Simpsons” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.”
9 p.m. – Sunday Night Football coverage rose to 16.89 million viewers and a 5.5 rating among adults 18-49 for NBC in the 9 p.m. hour. CBS' “Undercover Boss” and “The Mentalist” averaged 8.66 million viewers for second and tied for second with a 1.4 key demo rating, compared to the 6.33 million viewers and 1.4 key demo rating for “The Sound of Music” on ABC. [The breakout estimate for “The Mentalist” was 8.595 million viewers and a 1.4 key demo rating.] FOX's repeats of “Family Guy” and “Bob's Burgers” averaged 2.29 million viewers and a 1.1 key demo rating.
10 p.m. – Football averaged 14.1 million viewers and a 4.7 rating among adults 18-49 for NBC in the 10 p.m. hour. CBS' “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” averaged 8.15 million viewers for second and a 1.3 key demo rating for this, while ABC's “Sound of Music” closed with 6.14 million viewers and a 1.4 key demo rating. [The breakout estimate for “CSI” was 7.93 million viewers and a 1.3 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.