NFL helps NBC score win
Net's games unwrap Christmas victories
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The Peacock also has reason to be pleased with the weeklong results for another gameshow, the Penn Jillette-hosted "Identity," which won most of its nights in key demos last week.
In primetime on Christmas, a special holiday-themed two-hour edition of "Deal or No Deal" scored a big 5.3 rating/16 share in adults 18-49 and 16.4 million viewers overall, according to preliminary Nielsen nationals -- matching the show's second-best demo delivery this season.
NBC fared well with another game -- football -- on Monday, with the early-evening NFL matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys providing a strong lead-in to "Deal or No Deal."
In Nielsen's metered markets from 5 to 8 p.m. ET, the Eagles' 23-7 victory averaged a hearty 12.5 household rating/29 share -- a 21% increase over Fox's Christmas Day game a year ago (10.3/25 for Chicago-Green Bay).
ESPN was expected to place second on Christmas night with "Monday Night Football," but preliminary numbers for its New York Jets-Miami Dolphins matchup (8:30-11:40 p.m. ET) weren't available Tuesday.
Finishing off the night for NBC from 10 to 11 was a Christmas edition of first-year gameshow "1 vs. 100" (prelim 4.1/12 in 18-49, 11.9 million viewers overall), which was well above its Friday average.
Overall, NBC was the No. 1 broadcaster of the night for the 12th time in 15 Monday tries this season. Peacock logged its best Christmas night 18-49 average (prelim 4.9 rating) since 1998 and drew the largest overall primetime aud for any net on the holiday since 2000 (ABC's "Monday Night Football").
The only other net to do much on Monday was ABC, with its repeat airing of "Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl" (prelim 3.2/9 in 18-49, 8.6 million viewers overall). Fox's preem of theatrical "Radio" mustered a 1.3/4 in the demo.
As for "Identity," the new gameshow won four of its five nights in adults 18-49 (including a tie on Tuesday), airing opposite heavy helpings of repeats on rival nets. After bowing at 9 o'clock with an 11 share behind "Deal or No Deal" on Dec. 18, show logged an 8 share Tuesday and then earned a 9 share Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
So while NBC doesn't seem to have a "Deal or No Deal"-type game-changer on its hands, the "Identity" perf during the course of the week certainly makes it a candidate to return as a regular series at some point.
"Deal or No Deal" started out as a similar weeklong event in December 2005. It became a regular series just a couple of months later and is now dominating its Monday hour.
In the new year, "Deal" will also be airing Wednesdays at 9, where it will face off against the results show edition of Fox's "American Idol."
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Due to the Christmas holiday, the weekly Nielsen ratings report and charts will run in Thursday's edition.
