NBC is poised to claim another Sunday primetime ratings victory with its big "Sunday Night Football" matchup between Indianapolis and New England, but ABC held up well as its core shows, including "Desperate Housewives," came in above average.
Reliable preliminary nationals for "Sunday Night Football" weren't available early Monday, but the Indianapolis Colts' 35-34 comeback victory averaged a 7.5 rating/18 share in adults 18-49 and 19.9 million viewers overall on the NBC affiliates from 8:30 to 11 p.m., with national estimates expected to rise by about 15%. This would put the game's delivery at roughly the same, if not slightly higher, than the previous week's Dallas-Philadelphia matchup (8.5/22 in 18-49, 21.9 million viewers overall), which was the highest-rated football game of the television season.
Elsewhere, ABC held up very well, delivering its highest Sunday averages of the season. "America's Funniest Home Videos" (2.2/6 in 18-49, 8.5 million viewers overall) opened with its second best scores of the fall, and "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" then hit season highs at 8 p.m. (3.6/9 in 18-49, 11.6 million viewers overall). That stronger lead-in also helped "Desperate Housewives" (4.9/12 in 18-49, 14.4 million viewers overall), which logged its best ratings in a while, and "Brothers & Sisters" (3.2/8 in 18-49, 10.2 million viewers overall) was on the high side as well.
"Desperate Housewives" has now stood as the top Sunday entertainment series among adults 18-49 for six straight weeks.
Fox opened the evening with an NFL overrun and postgame show "The OT" (roughly 5.1/14 in 18-49, 13.0 million viewers overall), leading in to "The Simpsons" (4.2/10 in 18-49, 9.0 million viewers overall). The net then saw a dropoff at 8:30 p.m. for "The Cleveland Show" (3.3/8 in 18-49, 7.0 million viewers overall) before rising at 9 p.m. with "Family Guy" (4.1/10 in 18-49, 8.3 million viewers overall). And closing things out with the night's lowest numbers for Fox was "American Dad" (2.9/7 in 18-49, 6.0 million viewers overall).
CBS opened with "60 Minutes" (2.2/6 in 18-49, 12.3 million viewers overall) and then grew in demos at 8 p.m. with "Amazing Race" (3.2/8 in 18-49, 11.6 million viewers overall). The reality show was followed by a season high for "Three Rivers" (2.0/5 in 18-49, 8.5 million viewers overall), which featured guest star Mandy Patinkin, and "Cold Case" was also on the high side at 10 p.m. (2.1/5 in 18-49, 9.2 million viewers overall).
Preliminary 18-49 averages for the night: NBC, 6.0/15; Fox, 4.6/12; ABC, 3.5/9; CBS, 2.3/6; Univision, 0.8/2.
In total viewers: NBC, 16.1 million; ABC, 11.1 million; Fox, 10.9 million; CBS, 10.4 million; Univision, 2.2 million.
Contact Rick Kissell at
rick.kissell@variety.com