TV Ratings: NFL Playoffs Score

“The Big Bang Theory” is starting to pick up ratings steam in the final stretch of its 12-year run.

The CBS sitcom was last week’s most-watched entertainment show as total viewership ticked up to a 2018-19 season high of more than 13 million, according to The Associated Press citing Nielsen figures Tuesday.

While audience interest is likely to grow as the show draws to its conclusion this spring, “The Big Bang Theory” also is benefiting from the wrap-up of competing Thursday night NFL broadcasts.

ABC Tops Evening Newscasts

Football still dominated the week, as playoff games or related programming counted for half of the 10 most-watched shows, with top-rated network Fox the big beneficiary.

Less promising for Fox was the second-week performance of its new celebrity contest, “The Masked Singer.” After the Jan. 2 debut drew a healthy 9.4 million viewers and major social media buzz, last week’s audience dropped to 7.1 million facing a new episode of NBC’s “Chicago Fire” instead of a rerun.

Fox won the week in prime-time, averaging a hefty 11.35 million viewers. CBS had 6.5 million, NBC had 4.95 million, ABC had 3.84 million, Univision had 1.4 million, ION Networks had 1.3 million, Telemundo had 1.1 million and the CW averaged 860,000.

ESPN topped the cable networks with a prime-time average of 4.1 million viewers. Fox News Channel had 2.43 million, MSNBC had 2.1 million, Hallmark had 1.32 million and CNN and HGTV had 1.31 million each.

ABC’s “World News Tonight” topped the evening newscasts with an average of 9.4 million viewers. NBC’s “Nightly News” had 9 million viewers on average and the “CBS Evening News” drew 6.7 million.

Prime-time viewership numbers compiled by Nielsen for Jan. 7-13. Listings include the week’s ranking and viewership.

1. NFC Playoff: Dallas at LA Rams, Fox, 33.4 million.
2. College Football Playoff National Championship: Alabama at Clemson, ESPN, 24.7 million.
3. NFC Kickoff: Dallas at LA Rams, Fox, 24.1 million.
4. NFC Playoff Post-game: Philadelphia at New Orleans, Fox, 22.8 million.
5. College Football Bowl Pre-game show, ESPN, 15.9 million.
6. “The Big Bang Theory,” CBS, 13.5 million.
7. “NCIS,” CBS, 12.1 million.
8. “Young Sheldon,” CBS, 12.06 million.
9. “America’s Got Talent: The Champions,” NBC, 9.97 million.
10. “Mom,” CBS, 9.4 million.

11. “Blue Bloods,” CBS, 9.1 million.
12. “Chicago Med,” NBC, 8.6 million.
13. “God Friended Me,” CBS, 8.3 million.
14. “The Simpsons,” Fox, 8.2 million.
15. “60 Minutes,” CBS, 8.12 million.
16. “Chicago Fire,” NBC, 8 million.
17. “Hawaii Five-0,” CBS, 7.9 million.
18. “Hannity,” Fox News Channel, 7.14 million.
19. “The Masked Singer,” Fox, 7.1 million.
20. “Chicago PD,” NBC, 6.9 million.

The week’s top-rated daytime talk shows in the women 25-54 demo were:

• Dr. Phil (1.0, unchanged from the week before), tied with Live with Kelly and Ryan (1.0, unchanged
• Ellen DeGeneres (0.9, +13%)
• Maury (0.8, unchanged)
• Steve Wilkos (0.7, +17%)

In the household rating rankings that follow, % change is from the previous week; * indicates a new season-high rating; ** indicates a new season low; NC indicates no change from the previous week; NA mean not applicable.

COURT SHOWS

1. Judge Judy (CTD) 6.5 +8%
2. Hot Bench(CTD) 2.2 +5%
3. People’s Court (WBDTD) 1.4 NC
4. Judge Mathis (WBDTD) 1.0 NC
5. Divorce Court (20th Television) 0.7 NC

GAME SHOWS

1. Family Feud (Debmar-Mercury/FMNA) 6.0 NC
2. Wheel of Fortune (CTD) 6.0 +11%
3. Jeopardy (CTD) 5.8 +5%
4. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (Disney-ABC) 1.6 NC
5. Funny You Should Ask(Entertainment Studios) 0.5 NC

MAGAZINE SHOWS

1. Entertainment Tonight (CTD) 2.8 +22%
2. Inside Edition (CTD) 2.7 NC
3. TMZ (WBDTD) 1.2 +9%
4. Access (NBCU) 1.2 +20%
5. Extra (WBDTD) 1.0 +11%

OFF-NET SITCOMS

1. Big Bang Theory (WBDTD) 4.4 +2%
2. Modern Family (20th Television) 2.0 +5%
3. Last Man Standing (20th Television) 2.0 -9%
4. The Goldbergs(Sony) 1.5 +7%
5. Two and a Half Men (WBDTD) 1.3 -7%

BASIC CABLE (Prime Time)

1. ESPN (4,275,000)
2. Fox News (2,502,000)
3. MSNBC (2,186,000)
4. CNN (1,339,000)
5. HGTV (1,330,000)

Basic cable ranker: Week of... by on Scribd