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NBC Blitzes Sunday Rivals
John Madden
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NFL game scores across-the-board win for Peacock
The return of the National Football League to NBC, even though it's only preseason, paid some immediate dividends Sunday, leading the network to a ratings win.
NBC averaged a 6.2 rating/11 share for the night (with those numbers likely to change a little due to the live game telecast). CBS was a solid second at 5.7/10. ABC took third with a 4.1/7, and FOX, 2.6/5, came in fourth. The WB was barely there, registering a 0.9/2.
NBC's margin of victory was wider in the adults 18-49 demographic, where it drew a 3.4 rating. CBS was second at 2.2, and ABC and FOX tied for third at 2.0. The WB drew an anemic 0.4.
CBS began the night on top with "60 Minutes" posting a 6.2/12 at 7 p.m. "Dateline," 5.3/10, put NBC in second. A repeat of "America's Funniest Home Videos" drew a 3.7/7 for ABC. "Malcolm in the Middle" and "King of the Hill" averaged 1.9/4 for FOX, while The WB burned off an episode of its quickly cancelled drama "Just Legal."
NBC took over at 8 p.m. as the NFL's Hall of Fame Game between the Eagles and Raiders delivered a 7.2/13. "Big Brother" scored a 4.5/8 for CBS. "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" kept ABC in third. "The Simpsons," 3.1/6, and "American Dad," 2.8/5, were fourth for FOX. An episode of "Charmed" earned a 1.0/2 for The WB.
The NFL dipped slightly to 6.8/11 at 9 p.m., though NBC kept the lead. "Cold Case" improved on its lead-in to draw a 5.9/10 for CBS. A "Desperate Housewives" rerun, 3.7/6, on ABC held off FOX's "Family Guy," 3.3/5, and "The War at Home," 2.6/4. The WB went with a second hour of "Charmed."
CBS won the 10 p.m. hour thanks to "Without a Trace," 6.4/11. The NFL game slipped to 5.5/9 as the two teams emptied their benches. A "Grey's Anatomy" rerun on ABC came in at 4.9/8.
CBS and NBC split the rest of the weekend. On Friday, CBS' lineup of "NCIS," "The Unit" and "Numb3rs" won the night with a 4.0/8. NBC was second at 3.7/7, followed by ABC and FOX, which tied at 3.2/6; UPN, 2.0/4; and The WB, 1.4/3.
On Saturday, a two-hour "Dateline" and "Crossing Jordan" averaged 3.8/8 to give NBC the win. CBS took second at 3.5/7, with FOX, 3.1/6, and ABC, 2.7/5, rounding out the field.
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