Primetime Ratings: CBS Wins as GOP Coverage Tops NBC

Preseason football inflates ratings

By Tim Baysinger -- Broadcasting & Cable, 8/31/2012 11:30:59 AM

Thanks to its coverage of presidential candidate Mitt Romney's speech on the final night of Republican National Convention, CBS was able to take Thursday with an overall 1.8 rating/5 share in the adults 18-49 demo, according to Nielsen overnight numbers. The coverage was up four tenths from Wednesday to a 1.0, its best of the three days. Earlier, Big Brother was even with last week at 2.3.

ABC grabbed second with a 1.4/4. Its GOP coverage tied with CBS at a 1.0, improving by three tenths from Wednesday. Wipeout was up 23% to a 1.6 and Rookie Blue, airing an hour earlier, was up 50% to a 1.5.

NBC finished in fourth with a 1.0/3, and saw its coverage of the RNC fall 38% from Wednesday to a 0.8, the lowest of the broadcast nets. Earlier, Saving Hope was up five tenths to a season-high 1.1.

Fox's repeats put the network in third with a 1.1/3.

The CW rounded out the evening with a 0.5/1. The Next drew a 0.5.

(Note: Some Fox, ABC, CBS and NBC stations aired preseason football in various markets.)