Primetime Ratings: ‘Sunday Night Football’ Down But Still On Top

NBC won the Sunday ratings derby with a 4.0 rating in adults 18-49, according to Nielsen’s overnights, with a 13 share. Sunday Night Football rated a 4.5 on NBC following a 2.3 pre-game show. The previous week’s game, up against the presidential debate, had scored a 5.9, representing a 24% drop last night. The pre-game show did a 3.1 a week ago.

NBC nonetheless topped Fox’s 3.3/10, CBS’ 1.1/3 and ABC’s 0.9/3.

On Fox, The OT rode a football overspill to a 5.3. The 600th episode of The Simpsons, featuring Lisa’s killer imaginary friend and Steely Dan in concert, did a 3.1, up 19% from its last airing. Son of Zorn slipped 6% to a 1.5. Family Guy did a flat 1.6 and Last Man on Earth a 1.1, up a tenth of a point.

CBS had 60 Minutes at 1.2 (it did a 3.1 last week leading out of football) then NCIS: Los Angeles down 13% from two weeks ago at 1.3. Madam Secretary scored a flat 1.1 and Elementary a 0.7, down a tenth.

ABC’s America’s Funniest Home Videos rated a 0.8, down 20%. Once Upon a Time did a flat 1.1 and Secrets and Lies a level 0.9, before Quantico dropped 20% to a 0.8.  

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.