Nbc Kicks One Through The Goalposts

The arrival of NFL football dominated primetime network ratings for last week and gave NBC a rare -- and emphatic -- victory in both the total number of adults as well as adults 18-49. The network, which also had two installments of America's Got Talent going for it, averaged 11.13 million viewers for the week, while second-place CBS averaged 6.28 million. Among the younger demo, NBC averaged 4.92 million viewers versus 19.50 million for second-place CBS. NBC was buoyed by two NFL contests that it aired on Thursday and Sunday nights. Thursday's game between the New Orleans Saints and the Green Bay Packers drew 27.17 million; Sunday's, between the New York Jets and the Dallas Cowboys, drew 25.77 million. Together with pregame shows, they accounted for six of the top ten shows of the week. Somewhat surprisingly, CBS's two-hour documentary 9/11 10 Years Later , which aired opposite football on Sunday, ranked seventh for the week. The ratings/share charts reflected NBC's dominance even more strikingly. The network averaged a 6.7 rating and an 11 share. CBS was a distant second with a 4.1/7. ABC placed third with a 3.1/5, while Fox trailed with a 2.6/4.

The top ten shows of the week according to Nielsen Research 1. NFL Thursday Special, NBC, 16.0/26; 2. Sunday Night Football, NBC, 15.3/25; 3. NFL Thursday Pre-kickoff, NBC, 13.6/23; 4. Sunday Night NFL Pre-kickoff, NBC, 12.1/20; 5. Football Night in America Pt 3, NBC, 9.0/15; 6. NFL Kickoff 2011, NBC, 8.8/16; 7. 9/11 10 Years Later, CBS, 7.5/11; 8. America's Got Talent (Wednesday), NBC, 7.2/11; 9. America's Got Talent (Tuesday), NBC, 7.1/11; 10. NCIS, CBS, 6.2/10.

14/09/2011