NBC Weekly Ratings Release: Nov. 25 - Dec. 1, 2019

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. — Dec. 4, 2019 — NBC has dominated the primetime ratings week of Nov. 25-Dec. 1 in adults 18-49, adults 25-54, total viewers and all other key measures with the networks highest weekly 18-49 and 25-54 ratings of the season and best total-viewer average in the year since Nov.19-25, 2018, according to “live plus same day” figures from Nielsen Media Research.

NBC won the week in 10 of 10 key measures – adults, men and women 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54, plus total viewers.

Patriots-Texans “Sunday Night Football” was the week’s #1 primetime telecast in 18-49 and total viewers and Thursday’s Saints-Falcons NFL coverage ranked #2 in both measures. In total viewers, excluding sports, Tuesday’s telecast of “The Voice” ranked #6, Monday’s “Voice” finished #8 and Tuesday’s “Dolly Parton: 50 Years at the Opry” ranked #9. NBC’s 2.1 rating in adults 18-49 for the week and 2.7 in adults 25-54 are both season highs. The 8.9 million viewers is NBC’s best since Thanksgiving Week last year, Nov. 19-25, 2018, when NBC averaged 9.1 million viewers.

Season to date, NBC’s ranks #1 as the most-watched network in total viewers, marking the first time since 2001 that NBC has led in total viewers at this point in the season. 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 10 Averages
Adult 18-49 Rating, “live plus same day,” Nov. 25-Dec. 1
NBC…2.1      CBS…1.0      FOX…0.8
ABC…0.6      CW…0.2

Total Viewers
NBC…8.9 million      CBS…6.3 million      ABC…3.6 million
FOX…3.1 million      CW…0.8 million

In results for the Oct. 31-Nov. 27 November Sweep, NBC has won the November rating period in total viewers for the first time since 1996, according to “most current” ratings results from Nielsen Media Research period.

The NBC victory snapped an 18-year CBS November total-viewer winning streak, which dates back to 2000, when CBS finished third behind ABC and NBC.

NBC also ranked #1 outright for the November 2019 sweep in adults 25-54 and is tied with Fox for #1 for the month in adults 18-49 after trailing Fox in both measures last year.

NBC’s November was led by:
The #1 primetime series in 18-49, 25-54 and total viewers, “Sunday Night Football.”
The #1 scripted series in 18-49, “This Is Us.”
The “Chicago” dramas, with “Fire” and “P.D.” tying as the month’s #4 drama in 18-49, behind only “This Is Us,” “9-1-1” and “Grey’s Anatomy,” and “Med” ranking as the #6 drama.

November Sweep Averages
Adult 18-49 Rating, “Most Current”
FOX…1.7      NBC…1.7      ABC…1.1      CBS…1.0

Adult 25-54 Rating
NBC…2.3      FOX…2.2      CBS…1.5      ABC…1.5

Total Viewers
NBC…7.786 million      CBS…7.494 million      FOX…6.172 million      ABC…5.547 million

Results are based on “most current” November sweep figures from Nielsen Media Research, which are “live plus seven day” ratings for Oct. 31 through Nov. 17 and “live plus same day” for Nov. 18 through Nov. 27.

NBC highlights for the week of Nov. 25-Dec. 1:

Monday
“The Voice” (1.1 rating in 18-49, 7.3 million viewers overall from 8-10:01 p.m. ET) tied for #1 in its two-hour 8-10 p.m. timeslot among the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49 and rahiedn#1 outright among those nets in adults 25-54.

The season finale of “Bluff City Law” (0.5 rating in 18-49, 3.2 million viewers overall from 10:01-11 p.m. ET) delivered the show’s seventh consecutive 0.5 rating in adults 18-49. Social: “Bluff City Law” generated 19,000 Total Interactions, a +141% increase from the prior week’s 8,000, and a +16% gain versus the series-average 16,000, making this 3rd third most social episode of the series

Tuesday
“The Voice” (1.1 rating in 18-49, 7.9 million viewers overall from 8-9 p.m. ET) tied for #1 in the timeslot among the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49, adults 25-54 and adults 18-34 and ranked #1 or tied for #1 among those nets in all key adult-female demos

“Dolly Parton: 50 Years at the Opry” (0.8 rating in 18-49, 7.0 million viewers overall from 9-10:01 p.m. ET) delivered an NBC season-high result in the timeslot in total viewers, with the network’s biggest audience in the Tuesday 9-11 p.m. time period since Aug. 6 (7.1 million viewers). Versus NBC’s average in the timeslot last season, “50 Years at the Opry” grew +10% in total viewers (7.0 million vs. 6.4 million). The special ranked #2 in its two-hour 9-11 p.m. timeslot in adults 18-49 and total viewers and for its first hour from 9-10 p.m., ranked #1 or tied for #1 in adults, men and women 18-49; women 25-54, and adults and women 18-34.

Wednesday
“Ellen’s Game of Games” (0.7 rating in 18-49, 4.0 million viewers overall from 8-9 p.m. ET) tied for #2 in the timeslot among the Big 4 networks in adults, men and women 18-34 and grew +14% from its first half-hour to its second in 18-49 (0.7 to 0.8).

An encore telecast of “A Saturday Night Live Thanksgiving Special" (0.8 rating in 18-49, 3.4 million viewers overall from 9-11 p.m. ET) ranked #1 in the two-hour 9-11 p.m. timeslot in adults 18-49.

Thursday
NBC Sports coverage of New Orleans Saints-Atlanta Falcons Thanksgiving Night football (6.1 rating in 18-49, 20.7 million viewers overall from 8:23-11:02 p.m. ET) dominated the night, beating the Big 4 competition combined the night in all key ratings measures. The telecast ranked as television's most-watched primetime Thursday program since the "NFL Kickoff" telecast on NBC Sept. 5.

Friday
An encore of Thursday afternoon’s telecast of “The National Dog Show Presented by Purina" (0.5 in 18-49 rating, 3.2 million viewers overall from 8-10 p.m. ET) grew +25% versus last year’s primetime encore in adult 18-49 rating (0.5 vs. a 0.4 on Saturday, Nov. 24, 2018 from 8-10 p.m.) and by +22% in total viewers (3.2 million vs. 2.6 million).

“Dateline NBC” (0.5 rating in 18-49, 0.7 in adults 25-54, 2.9 million viewers overall from 10-11 p.m. ET) maintained 100% week to week in adults 18-49 (0.5 vs. 0.5). L+7: In L+7 Nielsens, “Dateline” is growing this season by +55% going from L+SD to L+7 Nielsens in 18-49 rating (from a 0.53 to a 0.82) and by +1.3 million viewers overall (3.4 million to 4.7 million).

Saturday
An encore telecast of “It’s a Wonderful Life” (0.3 rating in 18-49, 2.8 million viewers overall from 8-11 p.m. ET) finished #2 in primetime among the Big 4 in total viewers, increasing by +0.1 of a point or +33% from its first half-hour to its sixth in adults 18-49 (0.3 to 0.4) and +26% in total viewers (2.5 million to 3.2 million). This was NBC's 45th primetime telecast of "It's a Wonderful Life," directed by Frank Capra and starring Jimmy Stewart, since the movie was brought to broadcast network television in 1994.

Sunday
NBC Sports coverage of New England Patriots-Houston Texans “Sunday Night Football” (6.2 rating in 18-49, 21.4 million viewers overall from 8:23-11:18 p.m. ET) won the night in all key ratings measures. With a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) average of 22.0 million viewers, this was the most-watched Week 13 NBC “SNF” game in nine years. The 2010 Week 13 Raven-Steelers “SNF” game averaged 22.5 million viewers.

The Dec. 1 Patriots-Texans game marked the seventh NBC “SNF” game to deliver at least 22 million TAD viewers this season – more than tripling last year’s total through Week 13 (two). The TAD of 22.0 million viewers across NBC TV, NBC Sports Digital, and NFL Digital platforms, represents a +21% increase over last year’s Week 13 game (18.2 million for Chargers-Steelers), according to ratings data released by Nielsen, and digital data from Adobe Analytics. It was also the most-watched NBC “Sunday Night Football” game featuring the Texans (nine games since 2006).

NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” is averaging 20.7 million viewers across all platforms this season – the best start for the series through Week 13 (15 games) since 2015, and is up +4% from the same point last season (19.8 million viewers).