NBC DOMINATES THE PRIMETIME WEEK OF FEB. 3-9 WITH ITS TOP NUMBERS SINCE THE SUMMER OF 2012
The Opening Four Nights of Sochi Olympic Coverage Propel NBC to its Biggest Percentage Advantage, Excluding Full Olympic Weeks and the Super Bowl, in People Meter History
Monday's 'Hollywood Game Night' Ties its Series Record in 18-49
On Tuesday, 'The Biggest Loser' Hits a Two-Year High in Total Viewers and Jumps 29% in 18-49 Week to Week to a High Since Its Season Debut
Wednesday's 'Chicago P.D.' Equals a Four-Week High in 18-49, 'SVU' Grows 20% vs. the Same Night Last Year
Feb. 6 Bonus Sochi Coverage Generates the Most-Watched Thursday for Any Network Since Early September
With an Average 31.7 Million Viewers, NBC's Friday Coverage is #2 All-Time for a Non-Live Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony
The Feb. 8 Primetime Telecast Grows by 8% vs. the Viewership for the First Saturday of the Prior European Winter Olympics in '06
Sunday's Sochi Coverage Virtually Matches the Viewership of the Comparable Telecast During the Live Vancouver Olympics
For the Season, NBC is Tied for #1 in Adults 18-49, Up 7% vs. One Year Ago With its Best Rating at This Point in the Season in Five Years,
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - Feb. 11, 2014 - Boosted by the opening four nights of coverage from the Sochi Winter Olympics, NBC has dominated the primetime week of Feb. 3-9, with the network's biggest percentage margin over second place for an in-season week, excluding full Olympic weeks and the Super Bowl, in People Meter history.
For the week of Feb. 3-9, NBC averaged a 4.7 rating, 13 share in adults 18-49 and 17.2 million viewers overall, according to "live plus same day" viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research..
The 4.7 is NBC's best weekly rating since Aug. 6-12, 2012 during the London Olympics and best in-season rating, excluding Super Bowl weeks, since Feb. 22-28, 2010 during the Vancouver Olympics. NBC's 161% advantage over #2 for the week (with a 4.7 rating vs. a 1.8 for CBS) is NBC's biggest margin of victory since the London Olympics in August 2012 and biggest for an in-season week that didn't feature seven Olympics nights or the Super Bowl, in the 26-year history of Nielsen's current People Meter sample (dating back to September 1987).
NBC's 17.2 million viewers overall for the week is NBC's best since the London Olympics and best for an in-season week that does not feature seven nights of Olympics or the Super Bowl since Feb. 4-10, 2002, with three nights of Salt Lake City Olympic coverage (24.0 million). NBC's 79% margin over #2 for the week (with 17.2 million viewers vs. CBS's 9.6 million) is NBC's biggest advantage for an in-season week without seven nights of Olympics or the Super Bowl since that same week during the Salt Lake City Olympics (+103%).
NBC's four nights of Olympics coverage claimed the week's top four rankings among primetime programs on the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49, total viewers and most other key measures. Friday's coverage of the Sochi Opening Ceremony was the #1 program on those networks in every key ratings category - adults, men and women 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54, plus total viewers - as well as kids 2-11 and teens 12-17.
Through 20 weeks of the season, NBC is tied for #1 among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in adults 18-49 and is #1 outright in adults 25-54.
NBC's 2.9 rating in adults 18-49 is the net's top average at this point in the season in five years (since a 3.1 in 2008-09). Versus one year ago, NBC is up 7% season to date in adults 18-49 (2.8 vs. 2.7).
In total viewers, NBC ranks #2 for the season with an average of 9.5 million viewers, which is its biggest overall audience 20 weeks into the season in seven years (since 2006-07, 9.8 million). Versus one year ago, NBC is up 20% season to date in total viewers (9.5 million vs. 7.9 million).
Primetime averages for the week of Feb. 3-9 in adults 18-49 are: NBC, 4.7/13; CBS, 1.8/5; Fox, 1.6/4; ABC, 1.3/4; and CW, 0.6/2. In overall total viewers, the weekly averages were: NBC, 17.2 million; CBS, 9.6 million; Fox, 5.0 million; ABC, 4.8 million; and CW, 1.6 million.
Season-to-date averages are: NBC, 2.9/8; Fox, 2.9/8; CBS, 2.6/7; ABC, 2.1/6; and CW, 0.8/2. In overall total viewers, the season averages are: CBS, 11.3 million; NBC, 9.5 million; Fox, 8.5 million; ABC, 7.5 million; and CW, 1.9 million.
NBC highlights for the week of Feb. 3-9:
Monday: "Hollywood Game Night" (1.5/4 in 18-49, 5.0 million viewers overall from 8-9 p.m. ET) matched the "HGN" series record in adults 18-49. From its first half-hour to its second, "Hollywood Game Night" grew by 14% in adults 18-49 (to a 1.6 rating from a 1.4).
Tuesday: The finale of "The Biggest Loser 15" (2.2/6 in 18-49, 7.4 million viewers overall from 9-11 p.m. ET) delivered the show's biggest overall audience in more than two years, since Dec. 13, 2011 (7.8 million for the "Biggest Loser 12" finale). Tuesday's telecast jumped 29% versus the prior week in 18-49 rating (to a 2.2 from a 1.7) to achieve the show's highest rating in that key demo since the season premiere on Oct. 15. "Loser" earned NBC's top results in the time period since the "Voice" finale on Dec. 17 in 18-49 and total viewers. In total viewers, "Loser" was up 1% versus its previous finale (7.446 million vs. 7.389 million on Monday, March 18, 2013) and up 3% versus the finale before that (7.205 million on Tuesday, May 1, 2012). For its second hour from 10-11 p.m. ET, "The Biggest Loser" ranked #1 in adults 18-49 against original drama competition on ABC and CBS.
Wednesday: "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (1.8/5 in adults 18-49, 6.2 million viewers overall from 9-10:01 p.m. ET) grew 20% versus the same night last year in adults 18-49 (to a 1.8 rating from a 1.5 on Feb. 6, 2013) and was up 19% in total viewers (6.2 million vs. 5.2 million). "SVU" grew from half-hour to half-hour in every key ratings category.
"Chicago P.D." (1.7/5 in 18-49, 6.0 million viewers overall from 10:01-11 p.m. ET) equaled a four-week high in adults 18-49, tying its best rating since the show debuted Jan. 8 with a 2.0. It was the third week in a row "Chicago P.D." matched or topped its rating of the prior week, making it the first new drama on the Big 4 to accomplish that feat within the first four telecasts after its debut. "Chicago P.D." retained 94% of its lead-in from "SVU" in 18-49 and retained 96% in total viewers. In its first five weeks on the schedule, "Chicago P.D." has now generated NBC's five best 18-49 and total-viewer results in the time period, excluding "Saturday Night Live" specials, since Sept. 25, 2013.
L+3 Time Shifting: NBC's Wednesday dramas were significantly time-shifted: "SVU" grew by 48% in 18-49 going from these next-day "live plus same day" ratings to "live plus three day" (2.68 vs. 1.81) and "Chicago P.D." increased by 49% (2.48 vs. 1.67).
Thursday: Feb. 6 bonus coverage of the Sochi Winter Olympics (6.0/17 in 18-49, 20.0 million viewers overall from 8:30-11 p.m. ET) delivered the highest average viewership for a Thursday night on any network since NBC's Ravens-Broncos NFL Kickoff coverage on Sept. 5, 2013. In adults 18-49, NBC's 6.0 rating for the night topped the combined total of ABC, CBS and Fox. The Thursday broadcast was the first ever for NBC on the night before the Opening Ceremony and included the debut of the team figure skating and snowboarding slopestyle events. as well as the women's moguls competition.
Friday: NBC's Feb 7 coverage of the Opening Ceremony of the Sochi Olympics (8.6/26 in 18-49, 31.7 million viewers overall from 8-11:08 p.m. ET) delivered the top total-viewer results for an Opening Ceremony for a non-live Winter Games since the 1994 Lillehammer Games and is the #2 all-time non-live Winter Olympics Opening Ceremonies behind only the 1994 telecast. Viewership for the Sochi Opening Ceremony was up 43% from the last non-live Winter Games Opening Ceremony (22.2 million for 2006 Torino Games) and compared with the live 2010 Vancouver Opening Ceremony (32.7 million), the Sochi telecast was off only 3%. NBC scored the most dominant primetime Winter Olympics victory in People Meter history in adults 18-49, with the 8.7 rating finishing 235% above the combined ABC-CBS-Fox rating.
Saturday: NBC's primetime Olympics telecast on Feb. 8 (6.3/20 in 18-49, 25.1 million viewers overall from 8-11:06 p.m. ET) was up 8% in total viewers from the opening Saturday of the last European Winter Olympics (23.2 million viewers for Torino in 2006). It was the best primetime viewership for any broadcast network on a February Saturday in four years, since the second Saturday of the 2010 Vancouver Games on NBC (26.6 million viewers, Feb. 20, 2010). For the second consecutive night, NBC scored the most dominant primetime Winter Olympics victory in People Meter history in adults 18-49, with it 6.3 rating putting NBC 350% above the combined ABC-CBS-Fox rating.
Sunday: NBC's primetime coverage (7.2/18 in 18-49, 26.3 million viewers overall from 7:30-11 p.m. ET) virtually matched the 26.4 million for the first Sunday of the live 2010 Vancouver Olympics and was up 13% versus the opening Sunday of the last European Winter Olympics (23.2 million viewers for Torino in 2006).
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