Primetime Ratings: ‘Sunday Night Football’ Way Up on NBC

NBC seized the Sunday ratings title, as football led the net to a 4.8 in viewers 18-49, per the Nielsen overnights, and a 21 share. That topped the 2.4/10 that Fox posted.

Football Night in America lost 5% for a 2.0 on NBC but the pre-game shot up 40% to 4.9. The game, Cowboys versus Eagles, posted a 5.8, a 49% gain over Steelers versus Chargers last Sunday.

Fox had Saints versus Bears leading into prime, and The OT at 4.0. Football spelled a big boost for the comedies. The Simpsons got a 2.1 and Bless the Harts a 1.1 (They did a 0.8 and 0.6 last week.) Bob’s Burgers grew 57% to 1.1 and Family Guy went up 33% to 1.2.

ABC and CBS both rated a 0.6/3. On ABC, America’s Funniest Home Videos did a flat 0.7 and Kids Say the Darndest Things slid 14% to 0.6. Shark Tank and The Rookie both scored a 0.6, Shark Tank down a tenth and Rookie flat.

On CBS, 60 Minutes rated a 0.8 (with a football lead-in last week, it scored a 2.1) and God Friended Me lost 33% for a 0.6. NCIS: Los Angeles had a 0.7 and Madam Secretary a 0.4, both losing a tenth.

Telemundo and Univision both rated a 0.3/1. Three hours of Exatlon Estados Unidos averaged a 0.4 on Telemundo and El Secreto de Selena did a 0.3, both series flat.

On Univision it was 0.3s for Aqui y Ahora, Reina de la Cancion and Cronicas, all three level with last week.

The CW scored a 0.2/1. Batwoman got a flat 0.3 and Supergirl lost 33% for a 0.2. 

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.