NBC Reaches 21% Season to Date Growth in Adults 18-49

NBC ranks No. 1 and holds its lead this late in the season for the first time in 10 years. And despite competition from CBS’s NCAA basketball coverage, The Voice (3.5 rating, 10 share in adults 18-49, 12.0 million viewers overall from 8-10:01 p.m. ET) grew 3 percent week to week.

With the Monday and Tuesday editions of The Voice generating two of the week’s top five adult 18-49 ratings among primetime programs on the Big 4 networks, NBC has averaged a 1.4 rating, 4 share in adults 18-49 and 5.4 million viewers overall for the week of April 7-13, according to "live plus same day" viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research.

The Monday edition of The Voice ranked No. 3 among the week’s primetime shows on the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49, while Tuesday’s Voice finished No. 5 (rankings exclude sports pre- and post-game shows). Also ranking in the top 30 were: Law & Order: SVU (tied for No. 14), Chicago Fire (tied for No. 21) and About a Boy (tied for No. 25). Excluding sports, the Monday Voice was No. 2 among Big 4 primetime programs in adults 18-49 and No. 1 in teens 12-17.

Among the NBC shows preempted or in rebroadcast last week were The Blacklist, Revolution, Hollywood Game Night and Friday’s Dateline NBC.

Through 29 weeks of the season, NBC ranks No. 1 among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in adults 18-49, adults 25-54, all key adult-female demos and other key measures. It’s the first time NBC has ranked No. 1 in 18-49 this late in the season in 10 years (since the 2003-04 season).

NBC’s 2.9 rating in adults 18-49 is the network’s top average at this point in the season in five years (since a 2.9 in 2008-09). Versus one year ago, NBC is up 21 percent season to date in adults 18-49 (2.9 vs. 2.4).

Thru the season’s 29th week (thru April 13), NBC has won 78 nights in adults 18-49 among the Big 4 networks, more NBC nightlong wins than for any full September-to-May season since 2003-04 (83 wins).

In total viewers, NBC ranks No. 2 for the season with an average of 9.7 million viewers, which is its biggest overall audience 29 weeks into the season in eight years (since 2005-06, 9.9 million). Versus one year ago, NBC is up 38% season to date in total viewers (9.7 million vs. 7.0 million).

Primetime averages for the week of April 7-13 in adults 18-49 are: CBS, 2.1/7; ABC, 1.5/5; Fox, 1.5/5; NBC, 1.4/4; and CW, 0.3/1. In overall total viewers, the weekly averages were: CBS, 10.0 million; ABC, 6.2 million; NBC, 5.4 million; Fox, 4.9 million; and CW, 1.0 million.

Season-to-date averages are: NBC, 2.9/8; Fox, 2.6/8; CBS, 2.4/7; ABC, 2.1/6; and CW, 0.8/2. In overall total viewers, the season averages are: CBS, 10.9 million; NBC, 9.7 million; Fox, 7.7 million; ABC, 7.5 million; and CW, 1.9 million.

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