NFL dominates TV ratings again

Country Music Awards boost ABC in key demos

By RICK KISSELL

The 'CSI' trilogy crossover storyline was a boon to all three shows in the CBS franchise.

The 43rd annual CMA Awards, hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, boosted ABC.

Football ruled again in primetime last week, although the Country Music Assn. Awards helped carry ABC to victory in key demos with the net's best numbers since premiere week.NBC's "Sunday Night Football" and ESPN's "Monday Night Football" finished atop the primetime program rankings with their second best demo deliveries of the season, but ABC's telecast of the 43rd annual CMA Awards finished fourth, tied with Fox's "House" and a bit behind ABC's "Grey's Anatomy."

CBS had a solid week too as its "CSI" trilogy crossover storyline boosted all three shows in the franchise, and Fox's core skeins bounced back nicely following their baseball hiatuses.

Overall for the Nov. 9-15 frame, ABC led in adults 18-49 with a 3.2 rating/9 share, with Fox close behind (3.1/8), according to Nielsen. CBS and NBC tied for third (2.8/8), followed by ESPN (1.4/4), Univision (1.3/4) and CW (1.1/3).

The Alphabet also held the edge in adults 25-54 (3.9/10 to 3.7/9 for runner-up CBS), while Fox led in persons 12-34 (2.6/8 to 2.2/7 for ABC) and CBS won in total viewers (11.5 million to 11.2 million for ABC).

For ABC, the CMA Awards (5.3/14 in 18-49, 17.18m) was up 6% year to year in 18-49 while hitting a six-year high in women 18-34 (5.8/16) and a four-year high in total viewers. It also gave ABC its largest nonsports Wednesday aud in four years.

That momentum carried over to Thursday, where "Grey's Anatomy" (5.6/14 in 18-49, 14.87m) and "Private Practice" (3.9/11, 10.25m) both led their hours in 18-49 even as lead-off hitter "FlashForward" (2.6/7, 8.28m) edged down and placed third.

And on Sunday, the net posted its best average of the season behind the fall's largest overall auds for "America's Funniest Home Videos" (2.3/6 in 18-49, 8.54m), "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" (3.7/9, 11.71m), "Desperate Housewives" (5.0/12, 14.72m) and "Brothers and Sisters" (3.2/8, 10.09m).

Fox nearly caught ABC for the week thanks to the conclusion of the Sunday afternoon Green Bay-Dallas game, which averaged an 11.7/35 in 18-49 and 32.4 million viewers from 7 to 7:47 p.m. ET. Game's overall average of 26.7 million qualified it as the week's most-watched telecast.

On the entertainment side, "House" (5.3/13 in 18-49, 13.31m) and "Lie to Me" (3.0/7, 7.41m) lifted Fox to first place in 18-49 on Monday, and the returning "Glee" (3.4/9, 7.53m) was up vs. its most recent telecast despite facing the CMA Awards.

At CBS, the first "CSI" crossover event involving all three shows produced ratings spikes. Monday's "CSI: Miami" (4.0/11 in 18-49, 14.44m) was up 11% from its previous telecast, Wednesday's "CSI: NY" (3.8/10, 14.51m) surged 36% and logged its best scores since September, and the Thursday conclusion on "CSI" (4.1/10, 17.38m) logged the original's best demos of the season while drawing its largest overall audience since March.

NBC was paced as usual by "Sunday Night Football" (8.6/22 in 18-49, 22.39m), which edged out the previous week's Dallas-Philadelphia delivery to stand as the franchise's top score of the TV season. For the season, "SNF" ranks No. 1 in key demos and is drawing the largest overall aud for a primetime NFL package in 12 years.

Also, "Biggest Loser" was a winner on Tuesday (3.8/10 in 18-49, 9.65m) and "The Office" (4.2/10, 8.05m) continues to shine in its tough Thursday slot.

"The Jay Leno Show" averaged a 1.46 rating in adults 18-49 and 4.79 million viewers overall -- on par with its lowest deliveries in both categories.

The CW was led by the hot "Vampire Diaries" (1.9/5 in 18-49, 4.10m) and also drew its largest Monday aud of the season with "One Tree Hill" (1.3/3, 2.67m) and "Gossip Girl" (1.3/3, 2.37m).

The week's top cable program was ESPN's "Monday Night Football" (6.5/17 in 18-49, 16.00m for Pittsburgh-Denver), which drew its second best numbers of the season.

FX's "Sons of Anarchy" (1.9/5 in 18-49, 3.38m) continues to perform well, winning Tuesday's 10 o'clock hour among all networks in men 18-49 (2.3/6). And in the same hour, MTV's "The Hills" (1.3/3, 2.10m) ruled as TV's top draw in adults 18-34 (2.1/6).

AMC's two-hour preem of "The Prisoner" stood as Sunday's No. 2 cable program in men 25-54 (1.2/3) but didn't do gangbuster numbers.