Primetime Ratings: Bush’s Final State of the Union Dominates Night
NBC Wins Monday Night on Back of Pre-Speech American Gladiators
By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 1/29/2008 8:31:00 AM
It was another reality-heavy night in primetime-TV land, but in this case it was the president's State of the Union speech.
Thanks to another kind of reality -- NBC's American Gladiators from 8 p.m.-9 p.m. -- that network won the night in the 18-49 demo with a 2.5 rating/7 share, according to Nielsen Media Research overnight numbers.
Enough of those viewers stuck around for President Bush from 9 p.m.-10:30 p.m. (including the Democratic response and some quick analysis) that NBC won the rest of the night, capping it off with a 1.7/5 for The Office at 10:30 p.m. as the networks all worked in a half-hour of entertainment fare.
CBS was second with a 2.2/6 average on the night, led by Two and a Half Men at 8:30 p.m. with a 3.4/9.
ABC just edged Fox for third with a 1.9/5, led by Dance War from 8 p.m.-9 p.m. with a 2.5/6.
Fox was fourth with a 1.8/5, getting a 2.2/6 from a repeat of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.
The only network not to air the speech, The CW, was still fifth, led by a repeat of Gossip Girl at 9 p.m. (09/2).
