'NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL' IS THE #1 PROGRAM OF THE WEEK IN ADULTS 18-49 AND OTHER MEASURES, PACING NBC'S WEEK OF NOV. 10-16

'NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL' IS THE #1 PROGRAM OF THE WEEK IN ADULTS 18-49 AND OTHER MEASURES, PACING NBC'S WEEK OF NOV. 10-16

THE COWBOYS-REDSKINS GAME PROPELS NBC TO A SUNDAY WIN IN ADULTS 18-49, ADULTS 18-34, ADULTS 25-54 AND OTHER KEY DEMOGRAPHICS

'ER' ATTRACTS ITS BIGGEST VIEWERSHIP IN MORE THAN A YEAR AND WINS ITS THURSDAY SLOT IN ADULTS 18-49 AND OTHER KEY DEMOS, TOPPING FRESHMEN DRAMAS ON ABC AND CBS FOR THE SIXTH WEEK IN A ROW

'THE BIGGEST LOSER' WEIGHS IN WITH ITS TOP 18-49 RATING OF THE SEASON AND NBC'S HIGHEST NON-OLYMPIC 18-49 RATING IN ITS TIME PERIOD SINCE LAST APRIL

'LAW & ORDER: SVU' WINS ITS TUESDAY SLOT IN ADULTS 18-49 AND OTHER KEY DEMOS, MATCHING THE ABC-CBS DRAMA COMPETITION COMBINED IN ADULTS 18-34

'30 ROCK' ON THURSDAY SURGES 33 PERCENT IN 18-49 AND 41 PERCENT IN TOTAL VIEWERS VERSUS LAST SEASON

'LIFE' ON WEDNESDAY JUMPS 20 PERCENT IN ADULTS 18-49 VERSUS ITS FRIDAY AVERAGE

BURBANK, Calif. � November 18, 2008 � Paced by "NBC Sunday Night Football," which was the #1 program of the week in adults 18-49 and other key measures, NBC averaged a 2.9 rating, 8 share in adults 18-49 and 7.7 million viewers overall for the week of November 10-16, according to in-home viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research.

The "NBC Sunday Night Football" telecast of the Dallas Cowboys at the Washington Redskins was the #1 program of the week in adults 18-49, adults 18-34 and all key adult-male demographics � men 18-34, men 18-49 and men 25-54. It was the top "Sunday Night Football" telecast in both adults 18-49 and total viewers since September 21 (Cowboys-Packers). This week's Cowboys-Redskins matchup, with an average 19.3 million viewers for its full duration, scored the second-highest total viewership for any "NBC Sunday Night Football" game this season (second only to the September 21 Cowboys-Packers game, which averaged 22.2 million).

Through the first eight weeks of the 2008-09 season, NBC is now the "second youngest" of the major broadcast networks, with a median age of 45.8 years, only 0.6 years "older" than Fox (45.2 years). By comparison, ABC's median age is 50.6 and CBS's median age is 53.3. Season to date, NBC is running within 0.3 of a rating point of first place in adults 18-49.

NBC ranked #1 this week in adults 18-34 (tied with Fox) and men 18-49. Primetime averages for the week of November 10-16 in adults 18-49 were CBS (3.3/9), ABC (3.1/8), NBC (2.9/8), Fox (2.7/7), Univision (1.6/4), CW (1.0/2) and Telemundo (0.5/1). In overall total viewers the weekly averages were CBS (12.3 million), ABC (10.5 million), NBC (7.7 million), Fox (6.8 million), Univision (4.1 million), CW (2.1 million) and Telemundo (1.3 million).

Through Sunday, Nov. 16, with 18 nights of the 28-night Nielsen November sweep period measured, NBC currently ranks #2 in adults 18-49, tied with CBS, and #1 in adults 18-34. Current November 2008 sweep averages in adults 18-49 are: ABC (3.2/8), NBC and CBS (3.0/8), Fox (2.5/7) and CW (0.9/2). In adults 18-34, current November 2008 sweep averages are: NBC (2.6/8), ABC and Fox (2.5/7), CBS (2.0/6) and CW (1.1/3). In total viewers, the 18-night November sweep averages are CBS (11.5 million), ABC (10.3 million), NBC (8.2 million), Fox (6.5 million) and CW (2.1 million).

NBC is running within 6 percent of its year-ago 18-49 rating in the November sweep to date while ABC is down 11 percent, CBS is down 12 percent, Fox is down 24 percent and CW is down 25 percent.

NBC highlights for the week of November 10-16:

* On Monday, "Heroes" was the #1 show of the night in adults 18-34 and the #1 program in its highly competitive time period in adults, men and women 18-34 and men 18-49. "Heroes," which has been adding an average 20 percent to its 18-49 rating when "live plus seven day" results are reported, finished within one share of the time-period lead in adults 18-49 on a "live plus same day" basis.

* On Tuesday, "The Biggest Loser" weighed in with its top 18-49 rating of the current season, and NBC's highest 18-49 rating in its time period, excluding Olympics, since April 15.

* Also on Tuesday, "Law & Order: SVU" won its hour in adults 18-49 and all other key demographics. In adults 18-49, "SVU" topped CBS's "Without a Trace" by 29 percent and ABC's "Eli Stone" by 100 percent. "SVU" matched the ABC-CBS drama competition combined in adults 18-34 and beat the two dramas combined in women 18-34.

* In its second week on Wednesday night, "Life" was up 20 percent in 18-49 rating versus its season average as a Friday regular. Through the first six weeks of the season, "Life" has been adding an average 25 percent to its 18-49 rating when going from "live plus same day" to "live plus seven day" results. This 25 percent increase is the second biggest for any primetime series on the broadcast networks.

* On Thursday, "ER" won its hour in virtually all key demos, with the highest 18-49 rating for any entertainment program in this time period in five weeks. In total viewers, "ER" attracted its largest overall audience in more than a year, with an episode featuring a special appearance by former series regular Anthony Edwards as Dr. Mark Greene.

* Also on Thursday, "My Name is Earl" matched a season high in adults 18-49 and attracted its biggest overall viewership in five weeks. "Earl" ranked #2 in the time period in adults 18-49 and #1 in adults and men 18-34.

* Additionally on Thursday, "30 Rock" continued to deliver strong numbers, surging 33 percent in 18-49 rating and 41 percent in total viewers versus its average last season in this time period. "30 Rock" retained 88 percent of its strong 18-49 lead-in, its second-best retention ever in this post-"Office" time period (second only to the prior week's 91 percent retention).

* On Friday, "Deal or No Deal" "and "Lipstick Jungle" posted week-to-week growth for the second consecutive week, with "Lipstick Jungle" delivering its top Friday results to date.

* The "NBC Sunday Night Football" telecast of the Dallas Cowboys at the Washington Redskins propelled NBC to a Sunday night win in adults 18-49, adults 18-34, adults 25-54, women 18-34 and all key adult-male demographics.

* This week's Sunday Cowboys-Redskins Sunday game was up 28 percent in 18-49 rating and 33 percent in total viewers versus the comparable game last season.

Ratings reflect "live plus same day" data unless otherwise noted. Season-to-date figures are averages of "live plus seven day" data except for the two most recent weeks, which are "live plus same day."

Additional NBC highlights for the week of November 10-16:

On Monday, Nov. 10 from 8-9 p.m. ET, "Chuck" (2.4 rating, 6 share in 18-49, 6.3 million viewers overall) grew from its first half-hour to its second in most key measures, including adults 18-49, adults 25-54 and all key adult-male demographics � men 18-34, men 18-49 and men 25-54.

Monday at 9 p.m. ET, "Heroes" was the #1 show of the night in adults 18-34 and the #1 show in its highly competitive time period in adults, men and women 18-34 and men 18-49, while finishing within one share of the time-period lead in adults 18-49. "Heroes" (3.6/8 in adults 18-49, 7.8 million viewers overall) built on its lead-in from the previous hour by 50 percent in adult 18-49 rating and by 95 percent in adults 18-34 (to a 3.9 from a 2.0). In its second half-hour from 9:30-10 p.m., "Heroes" ranked #1 in adults 18-49, adults 18-34, women 18-34 and in all key adult-male demos.

It is worth noting that through the season's first six weeks, "Heroes" has been adding an average 20 percent to its 18-49 rating when going from "live plus same day" to "live plus seven day" results. In total viewers, "Heroes" has been adding an average 1.7 million viewers to its previously reported "live plus same day" numbers.

Monday at 10 p.m. ET, "My Own Worst Enemy" (1.8/5 in 18-49, 4.3 million viewers overall) ranked #2 in the time period among the broadcast networks in adults and men 18-34 and men 18-49.

On Tuesday, Nov. 11 from 8-10 p.m. ET, "The Biggest Loser 6" (3.5/9 in 18-49, 8.1 million viewers overall) weighed in with its top 18-49 rating of the current season and NBC's highest 18-49 rating in this time period, excluding Olympics, since April 15.

From its first half-hour to its fourth, "The Biggest Loser" gained 27 percent in 18-49 rating (to a 3.8/9 from a 3.0/8) and 21 percent or 1.6 million persons in total viewers (to 8.8 million from 7.2 million). In its final hour from 9-10 p.m., "Biggest Loser" ranked #1 among women 18-49 and women 18-34. In its final half-hour from 9:30-10 p.m., "Loser" was #1 in adults 18-34 and #2 in adults 18-49, pulling to within 0.2 of a rating point of the time-period lead in a crowded slot that included competition from ABC's "Dancing With the Stars," CBS's "The Mentalist" and Fox's "Fringe."

Tuesday from 10-11 p.m. ET, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (3.6/10 in 18-49, 9.4 million viewers overall) ranked #1 in adults 18-49, adults 18-34, adults 25-54 and all other key demographic measures. In adults 18-49, "SVU" posted a 29 percent margin of victory over CBS's second-place "Without a Trace" (3.6 vs. 2.8) and a 100 percent margin over ABC's "Eli Stone" (3.6 vs. 1.8). "SVU" matched the ABC-CBS drama competition combined among adults 18-34 and beat the ABC-CBS dramas combined among women 18-34 (a 4.0 for "SVU" vs. a combined 3.6 for "Without a Trace" and "Eli Stone"). This was the top-rated "SVU" in adults 18-49 since October 14.

On Wednesday, Nov. 12 from 8-9 p.m. ET, "Knight Rider" averaged a 1.5/4 in 18-49 and 5.3 million viewers overall. "Knight Rider" gained 4 percent in total viewers versus the prior week (5.3 million vs. 5.1 million).

At 9 p.m. ET, "Life" averaged a 1.8/5 in 18-49 and 5.8 million viewers overall, up 20 percent in 18-49 rating versus its average this season as a Friday regular (1.8 vs. 1.5). "Life" also grew 20 percent in 18-49 rating versus its lead-in from the previous hour.

Through the season's first six weeks, "Life" has been adding an average 25 percent to its 18-49 rating when going from "live plus same day" to "live plus seven day" results. This 25 percent increase is the second-biggest increase in percentage terms for any primetime series on the broadcast networks. In total viewers, "Life" has been adding an average 857,000 viewers to its previously reported "live plus same day" numbers when "live plus seven day" viewing is counted (to 6.4 million from 5.5 million).

Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET, "Law & Order" (2.2/6 in 18-49, 7.9 million viewers overall) matched NBC's highest 18-49 rating in this time period since September 24, despite atypical competition in the time period from ABC's telecast of the "CMA Awards." "Law & Order" also delivered NBC's second largest overall viewership in the slot this season, excluding Presidential debate analysis. In total viewers, "Law & Order" improved on NBC's season average in this time period prior to "Law & Order" by 55 percent (7.9 million vs. 5.1 million; excludes news coverage).

On Thursday, Nov. 13 at 8 p.m. ET, "My Name is Earl" (2.8/8, 7.0 million viewers overall) matched its season high in adults 18-49 and hit a five-week high in total viewers, up 8 percent in 18-49 rating (2.8 vs. 2.6) and 4 percent in total viewers (7.0 million vs. 6.7 million) versus the prior week. "Earl" ranked #2 in the time period in adults 18-49 and #1 in adults and men 18-34, topping CBS's "Survivor," ABC's "Ugly Betty," Fox's "Kitchen Nightmares" and CW's "Smallville" in those latter demos. At 8:30 p.m. ET, "Kath & Kim" delivered a 2.1/5 in 18-49 and 5.1 million viewers overall.

Thursday from 9-9:31 p.m. ET, "The Office" (4.1/10 in 18-49, 8.3 million viewers overall) ranked #1 among the broadcast networks in its highly competitive time period in men 18-49 and men 18-34, topping CBS's "CSI," ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" and Fox's "Kitchen Nightmares" in those demos. "The Office" ranked #2 in its time period in adults and women 18-34 and men 25-54.

Through the first six weeks of the season, "The Office" has been adding an average 18 percent to its 18-49 rating when going from "live plus same day" to "live plus seven day" results. In total viewers, "The Office" has been adding an average 1.4 million viewers to its previously reported "live plus same day" numbers when "live plus seven day" viewing is counted (to 10.4 million from 9.0 million).

Thursday from 9:31-10:01 p.m. ET, "30 Rock" (3.6/8 in 18-49, 7.6 million viewers overall) retained 88 percent of its 18-49 lead-in from "The Office," the second-best retention to date for "30 Rock" in this post-"Office" time period and second only to the prior week's 91 percent retention. In its three telecasts in this time slot last season, "30 Rock" retained an average 69 percent of its 18-49 lead-in from "The Office."

Versus its average in this time period last season, "30 Rock" was up 33 percent in 18-49 rating (3.6 vs. 2.7) and 41 percent in total viewers (7.6 million vs. 5.4 million). "30 Rock" ranked #1 in its highly competitive time period in men 18-34, topping CBS's "CSI," ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" and Fox's "Kitchen Nightmares" in those demos.

Thursday from 10:01-11 p.m. ET, "ER" (3.7/10 in 18-49, 9.9 million viewers overall) won its time period in adults 18-49, with the highest 18-49 rating for any entertainment program in this time slot in five weeks (since "ER" on October 9). "ER," featuring a guest appearance by former cast member Anthony Edwards as Dr. Mark Greene, attracted its biggest overall viewership in more than a year (since October 18, 2007).

"ER" ranked #1 in the time period in adults 18-49, adults 18-34, adults 25-54 and virtually all key demographics, topping the freshmen dramas "Eleventh Hour" on CBS and "Life on Mars" on ABC. "ER" has now finished #1 in this time period in adults 18-49, excluding sports, for six weeks in a row.

NBC finished within 2 shares of the nightlong win in adults 18-49 and was #1 among the broadcast networks Thursday night in men 18-34.

On Friday, Nov. 14 from 8-9 p.m. ET, "Deal or No Deal" (1.2/4 in 18-49, 5.3 million viewers overall) improved on its 18-49 rating for the second week in a row. "Deal" was up week-to-week by 9 percent in 18-49 (1.2 vs. 11) and up 33 percent versus two weeks ago (1.2 vs. 0.9). At 9 p.m., "Crusoe" averaged a 1.0/3 and 4.2 million viewers overall. And at 10 p.m., "Lipstick Jungle" (1.4/4 in 18-49, 3.7 million viewers overall) improved by 17 percent in 18-49 rating versus its results for the prior Friday (1.4 vs. 1.2) and by 40 percent versus its results of two weeks ago (1.4 vs. 1.0). "Lipstick Jungle" built on its lead-in from the previous hour by 40 percent in adults 18-49 and by 80 percent in women 18-49.

Through the season's first six weeks, "Lipstick Jungle" has been adding an average 27 percent to its 18-49 rating when going from "live plus same day" to "live plus seven day" results. This 27 percent increase is the biggest increase in percentage terms for any primetime series on the broadcast networks. In total viewers, "Lipstick Jungle" has been adding an average 914,000 viewers to its previously reported "live plus same day" numbers when "live plus seven day" viewing is counted (to 5.7 million from 4.8 million).

On Saturday, Nov. 15 from 8-8:59 p.m. ET, an encore telecast of "Knight Rider" averaged a 0.8/2 in 18-49 and 3.1 million viewers overall, scoring NBC's highest 18-49 rating in the time period in six weeks. From 9-9:30 p.m., an encore telecast of "The Office" delivered a 0.7/2 in 18-49 and 2.3 million viewers overall.

Saturday from 9:30-11 p.m. ET, an encore telecast of the October 25 edition of "Saturday Night Live," hosted by Jon Hamm and featuring musical guest Coldplay, averaged a 1.2/4 in 18-49 and 3.3 million viewers overall. From its first half-hour to its last, "SNL" increased by 40 percent in 18-49 rating (to a 1.4/4 from a 1.0/3) and by 27 percent in total viewers (to 3.6 million from 2.8 million).

On Sunday, Nov. 16, the "NBC Sunday Night Football" telecast of the Dallas Cowboys at the Washington Redskins averaged a 7.4/17 in adults 18-49, 19.3 million viewers overall and an 11.6/18 household rating/share for its full duration from 8:24-11:10 p.m. ET.

This was the top-scoring "NBC Sunday Night Football" in adults 18-49 and in total viewers since September 21 (Dallas Cowboys-Green Bay Packers).

Sunday's Cowboys-Redskins game was up 28 percent in 18-49 rating and 33 percent in total viewers versus the comparable game last year (a 5.8/14 in 18-49 and 14.5 million viewers overall for the Patriots-Bills on November 18, 2007).

"NBC Sunday Night Football" was the #1 telecast on Sunday night in adults 18-49, propelling NBC to a Sunday primetime win in adults 18-49, adults 18-34, adults 25-54, women 18-34 and all key adult-male demographics � men 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54. For the night (from 7:30-11 p.m. ET), NBC averaged a 6.3/15 in 18-49 and 16.3 million viewers overall.

Also on Sunday, "Football Night in America 2" from 7:30-7:56 p.m. ET averaged a 2.2/6 in 18-49, 5.9 million viewers overall and a 3.7/6 household rating/share. "Football Night in America 3" from 7:56-8:15 p.m. delivered a 3.3/9 in 18-49, 8.5 million viewers overall and a 5.2/8 in households. From 8:15-8:24 p.m., "NBC Sunday Night Football Pre Kickoff" averaged a 4.6/12 in 18-49, 11.9 million viewers overall and a 7.1/11 in households. Note: "Football Night in America" from 7-7:30 p.m. ET was sustaining programming and does not figure in the nightly or weekly primetime averages.