NFL boosts Eye, but not NBC

Fast National ratings for Sunday, Oct. 15, 2006

The NFL helped CBS take a piece of the ratings crown Sunday night (ABC grabbed a share as well), but football wasn't so great for NBC.

CBS averaged a 9.4 rating/15 share in primetime, edging ABC's 8.9/14. NBC was a fairly distant third at 6.1/10. FOX, 5.0/8, came in fourth, and The CW trailed with a 1.5/2. (The numbers for CBS, NBC and FOX all include live sports and therefore may change some.)

ABC led among adults 18-49 with a 5.4 rating, topping CBS' 4.2. NBC took third with a 3.6. FOX averaged 2.1 and The CW 0.9.

Late-ending NFL games and "60 Minutes" propelled CBS to the top spot at 7 p.m. with an 11.5/20. "America's Funniest Home Videos" put ABC in second with a 5.9/10. "Football Night in America," 4.7/8, was third for ABC. FOX finished fourth with local programming and a baseball pre-game show, while The CW aired an "America's Next Top Model" repeat.

ABC took the lead at 8 p.m. with "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," 8.4/13. The end of "60 Minutes" and "The Amazing Race" averaged 8.1/12 for CBS. "Sunday Night Football" didn't do much for NBC, coming in third for the hour. FOX got a 5.4/8 from Game 4 of the National League Championship Series. The CW's "7th Heaven" delivered a 2.1/3.

"Desperate Housewives," 12.8/19, ruled the 9 p.m. hour for ABC. "The Amazing Race" and "Cold Case" drew an 8.2/12 for CBS. NBC's Denver Broncos-Oakland Raiders game scored a 7.2/11. FOX's baseball coverage improved to 6.1/9. The CW closed its night with "Runaway."

CBS regained the lead at 10 p.m., earning a 9.9/16 with "Cold Case" and "Without a Trace." ABC slipped to second with "Brothers & Sisters," 8.3/13. "Sunday Night Football," 5.7/9, edged baseball, 5.5/9, for third.

On Saturday, CBS' lineup of drama repeats and "48 Hours Mystery" won the night with a 5.5/10. NBC finished second with a 4.8/9, followed by FOX, 4.6/8, and ABC, 3.5/6.

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