Fast National ratings for Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2008

The Summer Olympics continued their strong ratings performance Tuesday, and once again NBC steamrolled its competition.

NBC averaged a 15.7 rating/25 share in primetime, right in line with Monday's numbers. CBS led the non-Olympic pack and came in second overall at 4.2/7. ABC's 2.7/4 was good for third, topping FOX's 2.2/3. The CW drew a meager 0.6/1.

In the adults 18-49 demographic, NBC's 8.4 eclipsed the rest of the field by far. ABC and CBS tied for second at 1.6. FOX earned a 1.1, and The CW was way back at 0.3.

The Olympics delivered a 12.8/21 for NBC at 8 p.m. CBS took second with an "NCIS" rerun, 5.2/9. A "Wipeout" repeat on ABC snagged a 3.2/5, beating the 2.3/4 for "House" on FOX. A "Beauty and the Geek" rerun aired on The CW.

NBC improved to 16.8/26 at 9 p.m. with coverage of track and field, gymnastics and diving. "Big Brother 10," 4.0/6, kept CBS in second place. ABC's "Wanna Bet" and FOX's "Sarah Connor Chronicles" each earned a 2.0/3, with ABC drawing a few more total viewers. The CW went with "Reaper."

The Olympics peaked at 10 p.m. with a 17.6/29. "Without a Trace" posted a 3.3/5 for CBS, edging the 3.0/5 for ABC's "Primetime: Medical Mysteries."

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