NBC Weekly Ratings Release: October 14 - 20, 2019

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. — Oct. 22, 2019 — NBC has won the primetime ratings week of Oct. 14-20 in total viewers while ranking #2 in adults 18-49, according to “live plus same day” figures from Nielsen Media Research.

Eagles-Cowboys “Sunday Night Football” finished #1 for the primetime week in both 18-49 and total viewers. Excluding sports, NBC accounted for six of the week’s top 10 primetime shows on the Big 4 networks, with “This Is Us” and “Chicago Med” tying for #3, Monday’s “The Voice” tying for #5 and Tuesday’s “Voice,” “Chicago Fire” and “Chicago P.D.” tying for #8.

Season to date, NBC’s ranks #1 as the most-watched network in total viewers, leading by +231,000 persons over #2 CBS (7.420 million vs.7.327 million). It’s the first time NBC has ranked #1 in total viewers at this point in the season in 18 years, since the fall of 2001.

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.”

Week 4 Averages
Adult 18-49 Rating, “live plus same day,” Oct. 14-20
FOX…1.8     NBC…1.6     ABC…0.8
CBS…0.7     CW…0.3

Total Viewers
NBC…7.0 million     FOX…6.1 million     CBS…5.7 million
ABC…4.3 million     CW…0.9 million

NBC highlights for the week of Oct. 14-20:

Monday
NBC tied for the Monday night among the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49 and won the night outright among those nets in women 18-49 and adults, men and women 25-54.

“The Voice” (1.4 rating in 18-49, 8.0 million viewers overall from 8-10:01 p.m. ET) ranked as the #1 show of the night among the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49 (tie), adults 25-54 and total viewers, while winning its two-hour 8-10 p.m. timeslot among the Big 4 in every key ratings measure (including a tie in men 18-34). Delayed Viewing / Digital / Social: Through last season, “The Voice” reached more than 94 million viewers who watched at least of portion of the series on digital or linear platforms. “The Voice 15” was the #1 Most-Social Broadcast Primetime Series across TV in the Fall of 2018, garnering 9.3 million Total Interactions. (Source: Nielsen Social SCR , 09/24/18-12/18/18, Primetime Daypart, Linear Window, Broadcast Series Only. Twitter [Organic + Owned], Facebook [owned only], Instagram [owned only].)

“Bluff City Law” (0.5 rating in 18-49, 3.4 million viewers overall from 10:01-11 p.m. ET) tied for #2 in the timeslot among the ABC, CBS and NBC dramas in adults 18-34, and finished #2 outright among those dramas in women 18-34. L+7: This season, “Bluff City Law” has grown by +47% in 18-49 rating going from L+SD to L+7 (0.70 to 1.03) and by +2.9 million persons in total viewers (4.2 million to 7.1 million).

Tuesday
NBC won the night in adults 18-49, adults 25-54, adults 18-34 and most other key demos, with “This Is Us” and “The Voice” ranking as the #1-2 shows of the night on those nets in adults 18-49.

“The Voice” (1.3 rating in 18-49, 7.6 million viewers overall from 8-9 p.m. ET) finished as the night’s #2 show on the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49, behind only “This Is Us.” “The Voice” won the timeslot among those nets in adults 18-49, adults 25-54, adults 18-34 and all key adult-female demos. Versus the fourth Tuesday episode of the prior cycle, the Oct. 15 telecast was up +30% in 18-49 (1.3 vs. 1.0 on April 16).

“This Is Us” (1.5 rating in 18-49, 6.7 million viewers overall from 9-10:01 p.m. ET) ranked as the #1 show of the night on the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49, as well as adults 25-54 and nearly all other key demographics, dominating the 9-10 p.m. hour among the Big 4 networks by a +67% margin over the #2 show in adults 18-49 (1.5 vs. 0.9 for CBS’ “FBI”). L+7: The season’s first three episodes of “This Is Us” have delivered television’s #1-2-3 biggest L+7 lifts in 18-49 rating so far this season, a +1.51 increase for the Sept 24 season premiere, a +1.42 gain for the Oct. 1 telecast and a +1.50 for Oct. 8. The biggest lift for any other show on television this season is the +1.21 for the Sept. 23 season premiere of “The Good Doctor.” Social: “This Is Us” was Tuesday’s #1 most social scripted primetime show, with 301,000 Total Interactions (up +8% from last season’s fourth episode (279,000) (Source: Nielsen Social Content Ratings, 10/15/19, Percent Share, Primetime, All Series).

“New Amsterdam” (0.8 rating in 18-49, 5.0 million viewers overall from 10:01-11 p.m. ET) won the hour among the ABC-CBS-NBC dramas in adults 18-49 and adults 25-54 (tie), retaining 100% week to week in 18-49 (0.8 vs. 0.8). Social: The Oct. 15 “New Amsterdam” garnered 48,000 Total Interactions, up +73% from last season’s average (28,000) and up +226% from last season’s fourth episode (15,000).

Wednesday
Wednesday’s three-part “Chicago” crossover event tied for #1 for the night in adults 18-49, marking the first time Fox has settled for a tie on a Wednesday when airing “The Masked Singer.” NBC won the night outright in adults 25-54 and total viewers. NBC's 1.4 rating for the night is the network's highest for an in-season regular-schedule Wednesday since Sept. 28, 2016 (1.5). Social: The three-hour crossover event generated 306,000 Total Interactions, up +73% from last season’s three-hour crossover (177,000). The Facebook page had the week’s second and third most commented-on Facebook posts for all primetime broadcast programs (Source: ListenFirst Media, LF // TV UNIVERSE // EPISODIC, 10/14/19-10/20/19, ListenFirst Content Comments [Facebook], Brand Type: TV Shows, Primetime, Broadcast).

“Chicago Fire” (1.3 rating in 18-49, 8.2 million viewers overall from 8-9 p.m. ET) beat “The Masked Singer” to win the 8 p.m. hour in total viewers and was the #3 show of the night in viewers, behind only “Chicago Med” and “Chicago P.D.” The special 8 p.m. Oct. 16 telecast of “Fire” equaled the show’s highest rating in 18-49 since Oct. 24, 2018 (1.4) and attracted its TOP overall audience since April 3 (8.243 million). “Fire” grew +8% week to week in 18-49 (1.3 vs. 1.2 at 9 p.m.) and +7% in total viewers (8.2 million vs. 7.7 million).

“Chicago Med” (1.5 rating in 18-49, 8.9 million viewers overall from 9-10 p.m. ET) equaled the show’s highest rating in 18-49 since Thursday, March 2, 2017 (1.7) and delivers the show’s biggest overall audience since Feb. 20 (9.1 million). The Oct. 16 “Med” was the #1 show of the night in total viewers and won the 9-10 p.m. hour in adults 18-49, adults 25-54, total viewers and all other key measures. “Med” grew week to week by +36% in 18-49 (1.5 vs. 1.1 at 8 p.m.) and more than +1.4 million persons or +20% in total viewers (8.9 million vs. 7.6 million).

“Chicago P.D.” (1.3 rating in 18-49, 8.6 million viewers overall from 10-11 p.m. ET) scored the top “P.D.” 18-49 and total-viewer results since Feb. 20 (1.4 in 18-49, 8.910 million viewers overall), to win the timeslot in 10 of 10 key measures – adults, men and women 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54, plus total viewers. Week to week, “P.D.” surged by +30% in 18-49 (1.3 vs. 1.0) and +2.3 million persons or +36% in total viewers (8.617 million vs. 6.342 million) and was the #2 show of the night in total viewers, behind only “Chicago Med.” “P.D.” has now won the slot or tied for #1 versus regular ABC and CBS competition with its last 64 straight original telecasts in adults 18-49 (L+SD), extending back to October 2016.

Thursday
“Superstore” (0.8 rating in 18-49, 2.9 million viewers overall from 8-8:30 p.m. ET) equaled the show’s top 18-49 rating since May 2 (0.9) and delivered its most-watched episode since that same date (3.005 million), maintaining 100% week to week in 18-49 (0.8 vs. 0.8) and growing +5% in total viewers (2.9 million vs. 2.8 million). “Superstore” finished within 0.2 of a point of “Young Sheldon” in the half-hour (0.8 vs. 1.0) after trailing CBS in the timeslot on the year-ago night by 1.2 rating points (0.9 vs. 2.1 for “The Big Bang Theory”).

“Perfect Harmony” (0.4 rating in 18-49, 2.1 million viewers overall from 8:30-9 p.m. ET) retained 100% week to week in 18-49 (0.4 vs. 0.4) and grew +2% in total viewers (2.120 million vs. 2.073 million.

“The Good Place” (0.6 rating in 18-49, 2.0 million viewers overall from 8:30-9 p.m. ET) built on its lead-in by +50% in adult 18-49 rating, to retain 100% week to week in adult 18-49 rating (0.6 vs. 0.6) and grow +5% in total viewers (2.0 million vs. 1.9 million).

Social: For a fourth week in a row, “The Good Place” was the most social scripted comedy of the week across all dayparts in all of TV (Broadcast, Cable, Syndication) with 148,000 Total Interactions (Source: Nielsen Social Content Ratings, 10/14/19-10/20/19, Percent Share, Comedy Series). The episode’s Total Interactions are up +19% from last season’s fourth episode (124,000). The show’s Instagram account had the #1most engaging post of the week from a primetime broadcast comedy series, generating 31,000 Total Interactions with a still of Eleanor and Chidi from this week’s episode (Source: Nielsen Social Content Ratings, 10/14/19-10/20/19, Percent Share, Primetime, Comedy Series).

“Sunnyside” (0.3 rating in 18-49, 1.2 million viewers overall from 9:30-10 p.m. ET) maintained 100% week to week in 18-49 (0.3 vs. 0.3) and increases by +2% in total viewers (1.197 million vs. 1.176 million).

“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (0.6 rating in 18-49, 3.5 million viewers overall from 10-11 p.m. ET) retained 100% week to week in 18-49 (0.6 vs. 0.6) and grew in total viewers (3.5 million vs. 3.4 million). “SVU” ranked #1 or tied for #1 among the 10 p.m. ABC-CBS-NBC dramas in women 18-49 and adults, men and women 18-34. Social: Total Activity for the Oct. 17 “Law & Order: SVU” was 60,000, up +3% from last season’s average (58,000).

Friday
“The Blacklist” (0.4 rating in 18-49, 3.6 million viewers overall from 8-9 p.m. ET) ranked #2 in the timeslot among the Big 4 networks in total viewers. On a night of high-rated Astros-Yankees American League Championship Series competition, “Blacklist” maintained 100% week to week in women 18-49 and adults, men and women 18-34. L+3: The previous week’s “Blacklist” increased by +83% going from L+SD to L+3 NIelsens in 18-49 rating (0.52 to 0.95) and by more than +2.1 million persons (3.8 million to 5.9 million). The +83% gain was the night’s biggest L+3 lift on the Big 4 networks. Social: “The Blacklist” garnered 43,000 Total Interactions, up +9% from last season’s average (39,000).

“Dateline NBC” (0.5 rating in 18-49, 0.7 in adults 25-54, 3.2 million viewers overall from 9-11 p.m. ET) ranked as the #1 newsmagazine of the night in adults 18-49 and total viewers. For its second hour from 10-11 p.m., “Dateline” tied for #1 among ABC, CBS and NBC in adults 18-49.L+3: The previous week’s “Dateline” grew +43% in 18-49 rating (from a 0.61 to a 0.87) and more than +1.1 million viewers overall (3.7 million to 4.9 million).

Saturday
The NBC Movie of the Week, the 2015 feature film “Jurassic World” (0.4 in 18-49, 1.9 million viewers overall from 8-11 p.m. ET) equaled NBC’s top-rated Saturday in 18-49, excluding sports, since March 16 (0.5 with “Dateline Mystery” and “SNL Vintage”), while tying for #1 in primetime, excluding sports, among the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49 and adults 25-54.

Sunday
NBC Sports coverage of Philadelphia Eagles-Dallas Cowboys “Sunday Night Football” (6.6 rating in 18-49, 21.5 million viewers overall from 8:23-11:06 p.m. ET) dominated the night in all key ratings measures. The Cowboys’ 37-10 blowout victory posted a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) average of 22.0 million viewers, making this the most-watched Week 7 NBC “SNF” game in five years. The 2014 Week 7 game was headlined by Peyton Manning breaking Brett Favre’s all-time record for touchdown passes, as the Broncos defeated the 49ers that night 42-17 (23.9 million viewers).

The Eagles-Cowboys TAD of 22.0 million viewers across NBC TV, NBC Sports Digital, and NFL Digital platforms, represents a +35% increase over last year’s Week 7 game (16.3 million for Bengals-Chiefs), according to fast national data released by Nielsen and digital data from Adobe Analytics. NBC’s Sunday Night Football is averaging 20.4 million viewers across all platforms this season – the best start for the series through Week 7 (eight games) since 2015, and up +4% from the same point last season (19.8 million viewers).

The Average Minute Audience (AMA) for Sunday night’s live stream via NBC Sports Digital and NFL Digital platforms was 511,000 viewers, up +99% versis last year’s Week 7 “SNF” game (257,000 for Bengals-Chiefs), and the third most-consumed “SNF” regular-season authenticated game on record. NBC Sports Digital’s AMA of 488,000 viewers for “SNF” season to date through Week 7 is up +34% from the same point last season (364,000 viewers) and its best ever through seven weeks. Sunday night’s game averaged a TV-only 21.5 million viewers, marking an NFL-high 27th time (in 30 appearances) since 2011 that the Cowboys have played in an NBC “SNF” game which delivered at least 20 million TV viewers. The Eagles moved into the top five, with their 12th such “SNF” game in that stretch.