Fast National ratings for Friday, Sept. 26, 2008

It should be noted that due to the live nature of Friday night's Presidential debate, with a 6 pm pre-prime start time on the West Coast, the time-period based affiliate ratings are not truly accurate and will likely change dramatically as the numbers are finalized.

Although this marked the first Friday of the official 2008-09 TV season, the debate between Presidential candidates Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama threw the programming for a loop, landing ABC the ultimate win with its coverage.

ABC averaged a 5.6 rating/9 share in primetime to bring it to the top for the night. CBS came in second in households at 4.8/8, followed by NBC with a 4.1/7. FOX took fourth place with a 2.8/5, while The CW trailed with a 2.4/4.

Similarly, ABC took the prize with the 18-49 demographic with a solid 2.6, well ahead of tied rivals CBS and NBC with 2.0 apiece. Also tied were FOX and The CW with a 1.4 each.

CBS actually led at 8 p.m. with its rerun of the premiere of "The Mentalist" earning a strong 5.2/9, while ABC's special "20/20" featuring Part I of "Portrait of a President," in which Diane Sawyer delved into the early lives of Obama and McCain, drew a respectable 4.6/8. Third place went to FOX's "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?" with a 3.3/6, followed by NBC's "America's Toughest Jobs," 2.9/5. The CW brought up the rear with its "Friday Night Smackdown!"

It was a different story in the 9 o'clock hour, however, when the debate began and viewers flocked to ABC, giving the network a 6.4/10. NBC, 4.9/8, barely edged CBS, 4.8/8, with its coverage. Meanwhile, The CW stayed consistent with a 2.5/4 for its un-presidential "Smackdown" second hour, beating FOX's debate coverage, 2.4/4.

At 10 p.m. for the second hour of the debate, ABC maintained its lead with a 5.6/9, while NBC, 4.5/8, pulled more ahead of CBS, 4.3/7.

Ratings information is taken from fast national data, which includes live and same-day DVR viewing. All numbers are preliminary and subject to change.