Primetime Ratings: Fox Scores Thursday Win With Preseason Football

Other nets' lineups rise without Olympics competition

By Tim Baysinger -- Broadcasting & Cable, 8/17/2012 11:32:08 AM

Fox narrowly won Thursday with its airing of the Cincinnati Bengals-Atlanta Falcons preseason game, which gave the network an overall 1.9 rating/6 share in the adults 18-49 demo, according to Nielsen overnight numbers. Fox will release final numbers later Friday.

CBS came in second (but first in total viewers) with a 1.8/6. Without the Olympics as competition, Big Brother was up 28% from last week to a 2.3.

ABC took third with a 1.4/4. Wipeout was up 33% to a 1.6 and Rookie Blue improved 18% to a 1.3. The special Time Machine Chefs drew a 1.2 at 9 p.m.

NBC saw Saving Hope and Rock Center rise 50% from their last episodes three weeks ago to a 0.9 and 1.2, respectively. The network finished with a fourth-place 1.0/3.

The CW premiered its singing competition show The Next: Fame Is at Your Door, which drew a 0.3, two tenths lower than Oh Sit!, which debuted Wednesday. The CW finished with a 0.3/1.

(NBC carried local NFL preseason football in Cleveland and Milwaukee, while CBS carried the NFL in Columbus and Dayton.)