NBC Weekly Ratings Release: September 15 - 22, 2019

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. — Sept. 24, 2019 — NBC has scored a decisive win for the primetime ratings week of Sept. 16-22, with “Sunday Night Football” combining with “America’s Got Talent” to deliver three of the week’s four most-watched telecasts on the Big 4 networks, according to “live plus same day” viewership figures from Nielsen Media Research.

“Sunday Night Football” ranked #1 for the week in total viewers and adults 18-49, with the Wednesday and Tuesday finales of “Talent” finishing #2 and #4 respectively in total viewers among primetime shows on the Big 4 networks, and Monday’s “American Ninja Warrior” finishing #10 (rankings exclude sports pre- and post-game shows).

Wednesday’s “Talent” season finale was the week’s #1 entertainment telecast in total viewers. “Talent” continued its streak this summer of ranking as television’s #1 most-watched entertainment show every week it aired.

For the week, NBC ranked #1 among the Big 4 networks in 10 of 10 key ratings categories – adults, men and women 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54, plus total viewers.

At the conclusion of the 2018-19 season, NBC ranks #1 among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in adults 18-49, adults 25-54 adults 18-34 and is #1 or tied for #1 in all key adult-female demos, men 18-49 and men 25-54.

Weekly ratings are “live plus same day” figures from Nielsen Media Research unless otherwise noted. Season-to-date ratings are averages of “live plus seven day” data except for the two most recent weeks, which are “live plus same day.”

Adult 18-49 Rating
NBC…1.4    CBS…1.1    ABC…0.7 
FOX…0.7    CW…0.1

Total Viewers
NBC…6.2 million    CBS…5.6 million    ABC…3.8 million
FOX…3.0 million    CW…0.5 million

NBC highlights for the week of Sept. 16-22:

Monday
NBC tied for #1 for the night among the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49.

The season finale of “American Ninja Warrior” (1.0 rating in 18-49, 4.9 million viewers overall from 8-10 p.m. ET) equaled the shows season highs in adults 18-49 and set a new season high in total viewers, growing versus the prior week by +25% in 18-49 (1.0 vs. 0.8) and up +6% in total viewers (4.9 million vs. 4.6 million). “Ninja” tied ABC’s season premiere of “Dancing With the Stars” as the #1 show of the night on the Big 4 networks in 18-49.

L+35+Digital: After 35 days of digital and linear delayed viewing plus encores, “American Ninja Warrior” has been growing this summer by +125% in adults 18-49 and +4.6 million viewers overall versus its next-day “live plus same day” Nielsens, to a 1.97 rating in 18-49 and 9.2 million viewers overall in L+35+digital including encores.

“The 2019 NBC Primetime Preview Show” (0.4 rating in adults 18-49, 1.8 million viewers overall from 10-11 p.m. ET) tied for #1 in the timeslot among ABC, CBS and NBC in adults 18-49.

Tuesday
NBC tied for #1 Tuesday night in adults 18-49 and ranked #1 outright in adults 25-54 and total viewers.

The Live Finals telecast of “America’s Got Talent” (1.6 rating in 18-49, 9.9 million viewers overall from 8-10:01 p.m. ET) equaled the show’s highest 18-49 rating since July 23 (1.7) and delivered its most-watched episode since that same telecast eight weeks earlier (10.1 million), growing week to week by +14% in 18-49 (1.6 vs. 1.4) and +4% in total viewers (9.9 million vs. 9.5 million).

“AGT” was the #1 telecast of the night on the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49 and total viewers, beating the “Bachelor in Paradise” finale by +23% in 18-49 (1.6 vs. 1.3) and +5.5 million persons or +125% in total viewers (9.9 million vs. 4.4 million).

L+35+Digital: “America’s Got Talent” is growing by +138% versus its next-day “live plus same day” Nielsens after 35 days of digital and linear delayed viewing and encores, increasing all the way to a 3.69 rating, while adding +8.1 million viewers, growing to 17.8 million persons in L+35+Digital including encores.

Digital & Social: “America’s Got Talent” has amassed nearly 2.5 billion views across all digital video platforms so far this season. With 439.3 million combined total views across Facebook, Twitter & YouTube, Kodi Lee’s Golden Buzzer performance is the show’s most viewed video clip this season. “Talent” is the #1 most-social Broadcast Series of the year (40.7 million Total Interactions to-date in Linear metrics, Source: Nielsen Social SCR, 1/1/19-9/17/19. Linear Metrics. Broadcast Series only. All dayparts. Excludes News & Sports). “AGT” judge Gabrielle Union and “AGT” host Terry Crews boast the Top 2 most-engaging Social Talent accounts this Summer in Linear metrics. (Source: Nielsen Social SCR, 5/23/19-9/17/19. Linear Metrics. Talent accounts. Gabrielle Union is the most engaging Social Talent account this Summer earning 11.7 million Total Engagements on 463 posts across Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Terry Crews has generated 6.9 million Total Interactions on 386 posts for this AGT season in Linear metrics.

The Finale Results edition of “Bring the Funny” (0.6 rating in 18-49, 3.3 million viewers overall from 10:01-11 p.m. ET) tied for #1 in the hour in men 18-49 and men 25-54, despite facing the climactic hour of ABC’s “Bachelor in Paradise” finale. L+35+Digital: “Bring the Funny” is increasing by +130% versus its next-day “live plus same day” Nielsens after 35 days of digital and linear delayed viewing plus encores, growing to a 2.12 rating, while adding +4.7 million viewers, increasing to 9.4 million persons in L+35+Digital including encores.

Wednesday
NBC finished #1 Wednesday night among the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49, adults 25-54, total viewers and every other key measure.

The season finale of “America’s Got Talent” (1.5 rating in 18-49, 10.2 million viewers overall from 8-10:01 p.m. ET) set a new season highs in total viewers and a new Wednesday season high in 18-49. for an “AGT” Wednesday telecast in 18-49 and total viewers. The 10.2 million made it television’s most-watched entertainment telecast in nearly four months, since the Norman Lear live special on May 22 (10.4 million). The “Talent” finale also scored NBC’s strongest 18-49 and total-viewer results in the timeslot, excluding sports and the “Billboard Music Awards,” in the past year (since Sept. 19, 2018, with the prior “AGT” finale, 2.1 in 18-49, 12.9 million viewers overall). L+7: Wednesday’s “Talent” has increased by +90% versus its next-day “live plus same day” Nielsens after just seven days of digital and linear delayed viewing plus encores, growing to a 2.16 rating, while adding +4.5 million viewers, increasing to 12.6 million persons in L+7+Digital including encores.

“A Little Late with Lilly Singh: The Primetime Special” (0.4 rating in 18-49, 2.2 million viewers overall from 10:01-11 p.m. ET) generated strong sampling, tying for #1 in the 10-11 p.m. hour among ABC, CBS and NBC in adults 18-49 and finishing #1 outright among those nets in adults 18-34.

Thursday
The NBC Special “Return to Downton Abbey: A Grand Event” averaged a 0.4 rating in 18-49 and 2.8 million viewers overall from 8-9 p.m. ET.

The NBC Special “The Paley Center Salutes The Good Place” averaged a 0.2 rating in 18-49 and 1.3 viewers overall from 9-10 p.m. ET.

An encore telecast of “Law & Order: SVU” averaged a 0.2 rating in 18-49 and 1.7 million viewers overall from 10-11 p.m. ET).

Friday
NBC finished #1 among the Big 4 networks Friday night in adults 18-49 for a fourth week in a row.

An encore telecast of “American Ninja Warrior” (0.5 rating in 18-49, 2.4 million viewers overall from 8-10 p.m. ET) won the two-hour 8-10 p.m. timeslot among the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49 and adults 25-54 and tied as the #1 show of the night on those nets in 18-49.

“Dateline NBC” (0.4 rating in 18-49, 0.7 in adults 25-54, 2.5 million viewers overall from 10-11 p.m. ET) tied as the #2 telecast of the night on the Big 4 networks in the key news demo of adults 25-54. L+7:Through the traditional September-to-May season, Friday’s “Dateline” grew by +51% in 18-49 rating (from a 0.57 to a 0.86) and more than +1.2 million viewers overall (3.5 million to 4.7 million) going from L+SD to L+7.

Sunday
NBC Sports coverage of Los Angeles Rams-Cleveland Browns “Sunday Night Football” (6.1 rating in 18-49, 18.6 million viewers overall from 8:23-11:26 p.m. ET) dominated the night in all key ratings measures.