TV Ratings: Sunday Night NFL Tilt Leads

NBC had an attractive Sunday night football matchup between NFC East contenders Dallas and Philadelphia this week, and were rewarded in the television ratings.

The Nielsen company estimated nearly 20.8 million people saw the Philly Eagles keep their status as the NFL's only undefeated team after six games. The game reached five million more viewers than the “Monday Night Football” contest between Las Vegas and Kansas City. 

The top non-football program was CBS' newsmagazine “60 Minutes,” but its producers can tip their cap to the NFL, as well. The show came directly after an attractive NFL game. CBS' “FBI” was the most popular scripted show

📺Top 20 Prime-Time Shows week of Oct. 10-16, Total Viewers:

1. NFL Football: Dallas at Philadelphia, NBC, 20.79 million.

2. “NFL Pregame” (Sunday), NBC, 15.81 million.

3. NFL Football: Las Vegas at Kansas City, ESPN, 15.79 million.

4. “Football Night in America, Part 3,” NBC, 11.34 million.

5. “60 Minutes,” CBS, 10.72 million.

6. “FBI,” CBS, 7.41 million.

7. “The Equalizer,” CBS, 7.32 million.

8. “Young Sheldon,” CBS, 7.25 million.

9. “Chicago Fire,” NBC, 7.16 million.

10. “NFL Pregame” (Monday), ESPN, 7.02 million.

11. “NCIS,” CBS, 6.6 million.

12. “Chicago Med,” NBC, 6.58 million.

13. “Ghosts,” CBS, 6.54 million.

14. “The Voice” (Monday), NBC, 6.48 million.

15. “The Voice” (Tuesday), NBC, 6.33 million.

16. “FBI: International,” CBS, 6.15 million.

17. “Blue Bloods,” CBS, 6.06 million.

18. “Fire Country,” CBS, 5.8 million.

19. “Chicago PD,” NBC, 5.65 million.

20. “NFL Postgame” (Monday), ESPN, 5.52 million.

📺BROADCAST NETWORK NEWSCASTS

David Muir, Norah O'Donnell and Lester Holt

According to TV Newser citing Nielsen live-plus-same-day data for the week of Oct. 10, World News Tonight averaged 7.69 million total viewers, and 1.25 million adults 25-54. WNT has now defeated its competition from NBC and CBS 202 of the past 203 weeks in average total viewers—and 131 of the last 133 weeks among adults 25-54.

Speaking of NBC, Nightly News with Lester Holt averaged 6.39 million total viewers on linear this past week, which is -2% from the prior week and -3% from the year-ago week. Last but never least, CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell averaged 4.56 million total viewers this past week, just -1% from the previous week but -8% from the year-ago week.

📺LATE NIGHT TV

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📺CABLE TV

Fox News Channel has now achieved 41 consecutive weeks as the most-watched basic cable network in the 24-hour daypart, and 87 consecutive weeks as the most-watched network on cable news, according to TV Newser.

FNC averaged 1.42 million total day viewers and 195,000 adults 25-54 in total day this past week. The 1.42 million is -3% and the 195,000 is -1% from what the network averaged in those two categories the previous week (Oct. 3).

Fox News also averaged 2.19 million total viewers in primetime this past week, -3% from the prior week and No. 3 on all of basic cable behind a Monday Night Football, college football and MLB Playoffs-driven ESPN, and an MLB Playoffs-driven TBS. ESPN averaged a basic cable-high 3.01 million primetime viewers this past week, while TBS averaged 2.5 million. FNC also averaged 275,000 adults 25-54 in primetime this past week, -2% from the previous week and tied for No. 4 on basic cable, tied with TNT (275,000) and behind overall ESPN (1.27 million), TBS (961,000), FS1 (521,000).

CNN saw week-to-week audience gains that were driven by the network’s Jan. 6 committee hearing coverage on Thursday. CNN averaged 560,000 total day viewers during the week of Oct. 10, which is +6% from the prior week and No. 6 on all of basic cable.  MSNBC finished the week of Oct. 10 as the fifth-most-watched basic cable network in primetime (1.31 million), dropping two spots in the rankings exclusively because of sports network viewership growth. MSNBC also averaged 843,000 total day viewers, a strong number but still just fourth on basic cable.  MSNBC’s 1.31 million total primetime viewer average is +8% from the prior week, while its 843,000 total day viewer average is +13% from the prior week. 

Graphics Courtesy of RoadMN

In terms of individual programming, The Five is the most-watched cable news show for the eighth consecutive week. The news talk panel program averaged 3.29 million total viewers during the week of Oct. 10, down a bit from the prior week (3.37 million). Tucker Carlson Tonight is second place in total viewers (3.19 million at 8 p.m.), with Jesse Watters Primetime (2.75 million at 7 p.m.), Hannity (2.58 million at 9 p.m.) and Special Report with Bret Baier (2.36 million viewers at 6 p.m.) round out the top five.

Fox News is home to the week’s top eight cable news shows in total viewers. MSNBC’s The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell ranks No. 9 and averaged more viewers than its 9 p.m. lead-in this past week (1.72 million vs. 1.71 million).

📺COLLEGE FOOTBALL Week 7

The SEC on CBS topped the ratings charts for a fifth-straight week as Tennessee’s thrilling win over Alabama delivered a season-high rating (6.1) and audience (11.56M).

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