Primetime Ratings: NBC Scores Wednesday Touchdown With NFL Opener

Clinton's speech drives Convention coverage up from Tuesday

By Tim Baysinger -- Broadcasting & Cable, 9/6/2012 11:21:59 AM

The start of the 2012 NFL season helped NBC grab the ratings victory Wednesday night, with an overall 8.2 rating/22 share in the adults 18-49 demo, according to Nielsen overnight numbers.

The season-opening game between the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants drew a 16.5 overnight rating in total viewers, down 4% from last season's opener and was watched by 23.9 million viewers, which was down 12%. NBC's pregame show, which began at 7:30 p.m., drew a fast-affiliate 5.5.

Fox tied with CBS for second with an overall 1.4/4. So You Think You Can Dance was down just a tenth from last week to a 1.4. CBS' Big Brother was down 9% to a 2.1. The network's second night of coverage of the Democratic National Convention -- which featured former President Bill Clinton -- was up three tenths from Tuesday to a 0.9.

ABC's coverage was also up two tenths to a 0.9 as well. The network finished in fourth at 1.0/3.

The CW, which finished with a 0.4/1, aired Oh Sit!, which was even at 0.4.