Television

NBC Wins Fifth Consecutive Premiere Week

Universal City, CA

NBC topped the adult 18-49 demo with the week’s top Show, No. 1 drama premiere and No. 1 comedy debut. The streak ties the longest in people meter history.

NBC has won premiere week of the 2016-17 primetime TV season among viewers aged 18-49, marking the fifth straight year NBC has claimed the season’s opening week, according to "live plus same day" ratings from Nielsen Media Research.

In people meter history, dating back to 1987, no network has finished No. 1 for more than five consecutive seasons and only one network, ABC from 2005 through 2009, has previously equaled NBC’s current five-year streak.

In viewers 18-49, NBC averaged 3.215 million for premiere week versus No. 2 CBS’s 3.158 million. In 18-49 rating points, NBC finished the week with a 2.51 rating in adults 18-49 versus a 2.46 for CBS, and while both ratings round to a 2.5, CBS declines to a 2.28 excluding the NFL Network viewers that CBS adds to its "Thursday Night Football" results.

In entertainment-program averages that exclude live news and sports, NBC also won premiere week in adults 18-49.

NBC’s week was highlighted by the season’s No. 1 series premiere to date in 18-49, Tuesday’s This Is Us, and the week’s highest-rated debut half-hour of a new comedy, Monday’s The Good Place (L+3).

Ranking in the premiere week top 10 primetime shows on the Big 4 networks in 18-49 are Sunday Night Football (No. 1), Tuesday’s Voice (No. 5), Monday’s Voice (No. 6), Tuesday’s This Is Us (No. 7) and Monday’s debut half-hour of The Good Place (tied for No. 8). Rankings excludes sports pre- and post-game shows.

In total viewers, four of the week’s top seven are SNF (No. 1), Tuesday’s Voice (No. 5), Monday’s Voice (No. 6) and This Is Us (No. 7), with the premiere half-hour of The Good Place (No. 12.)