Primetime Ratings: Photo Finish for Fox, ABC
NASCAR Overrun, The Simpsons Push Fox on Sunday Night; ABC Driven by Extreme Makeover: Home Edition , Oprah's Big Give
By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/3/2008 7:17:00 AM MT
Fox and ABC were in a dead heat atop the Nielsen Media Research overnight ratings in the 18-49 demo Sunday night.
Fox earned its 4.3 rating/11 share on the strength of a powerhouse showing from The Simpsons (5.2/13) from 9 p.m.-9:30 p.m., with a push from a National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing overrun from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. (4.5/13). ABC scored its 4.3/11 with Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (5.1/13) and Oprah's Big Give (5.3/12).
Due to the NASCAR overrun, Fox's premiere ofUnhitched didn't show up in the primetime ratings because it was pushed to 10 p.m.
Also nose-to-nose were CBS and NBC, with CBS scoring a 2.1/5 to take third, led by Big Brother with a 2.3/6 from 8 p.m.-9 p.m. CBS did not get much bump from the second outing for serial-killer-turned-investigator drama Dexter. The off-Showtime show averaged a 2/5 for third place behind ABC's Here Come the Newlyweds and a repeat of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit on NBC.
NBC, in fourth, averaged a 2/5, led by Deal or No Deal (2.3/5) from 9 p.m.-10 p.m. Those orders of finish could change with the release of the national numbers, however.
Not changing will be The CW's fifth-place finish with a 0.5/1 for a mix of new episodes and repeats, led by a repeat of America’s Next Top Model from 8 p.m.-9 p.m. (0.6/2).
