Meet the newest recession-fighting ally in the scrimmage for consumer sales: online advertising. Even discretionary product categories taking a hit at the register can build market share through online presence. Here’s how.

RANK
NAME
NETWORK
DAY
VIEWERS (P2+)

1
AMERICAN IDOL-TUESDAY
FOX
SATURDAY
24,410,000

2
AMERICAN IDOL-WEDNESDAY
FOX
TUESDAY
24,342,000

3
DANCING WITH THE STARS
ABC
WEDNESDAY
20,484,000

4
NCIS
CBS
MONDAY
17,230,000

5
MENTALIST, THE
CBS
MONDAY
16,957,000

6
E.R.
NBC
SATURDAY
16,378,000

7
ACM AWARDS(S)
CBS
TUESDAY
14,777,000

8
CSI
CBS
WEDNESDAY
14,625,000

9
TWO AND A HALF MEN
CBS
THURSDAY
14,556,000

10
CBS NCAA BSKBL CHAMP SA-2(S)
CBS
TUESDAY
14,454,000

Source: The Nielsen Company (March 30, 2009 – April 3, 2009)

RANK
NAME
NETWORK
DAY
VIEWERS (P2+)

1
CBS NCAA BSKBL CHAMP SA-2
CBS
SATURDAY
2,482,000

2
AMERICAN IDOL-TUESDAY
FOX
TUESDAY
2,368,000

3
AMERICAN IDOL-WEDNESDAY
FOX
WEDNESDAY
2,084,000

4
CSI: MIAMI
CBS
MONDAY
2,002,000

5
DANCING WITH THE STARS
ABC
MONDAY
1,980,000

6
CBS NCAA BSKBL-BRIDGE
CBS
SATURDAY
1,923,000

7
WITHOUT A TRACE
CBS
TUESDAY
1,359,000

8
CSI: NY
CBS
WEDNESDAY
1,325,000

9
CSI
CBS
THURSDAY
1,301,000

10
MENTALIST, THE
CBS
TUESDAY
1,272,000

Source: The Nielsen Company (March 30, 2009 – April 3, 2009)

CBS’s “Flashpoint”, “Numb3rs” and “Ghost Whisperer” swept the top three-ranked primetime telecasts on broadcast TV with an average audience of approximately 8.8, 7.5 and 7.2 million viewers Friday, April 3, 2009.

Rank
Program
Network
Viewers (P2+)

1
FLASHPOINT
CBS
8,767,000

2
NUMB3RS
CBS
7,501,000

3
GHOST WHISPERER
CBS
7,235,000

4
20/20-FRI
ABC
6,750,000

5
MANANA PARA SIEMPRE FRI
UNI
5,344,000

6
DATELINE FRI
NBC
5,009,000

7
CUIDADO CON EL ANGEL FRI
UNI
4,869,000

8
WIFE SWAP
ABC
4,445,000

9
SUPERNANNY
ABC
4,423,000

10
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
NBC
3,559,000

Source: The Nielsen Company (April 3, 2009).

Overall, CBS won the night with an average audience of almost 7.8 million viewers,
while ABC took second place with almost 5.2 million average viewers. UNI and NBC
claimed third and fourth places with roughly 4.6 million and 3.9 million average viewers.
FOX and …

RANK
NAME
NETWORK
DAY
VIEWERS (P2+)

1
MANANA PARA SIEMPRE MON-03/30/2009
UNI
MONDAY
5,757,000

2
MANANA PARA SIEMPRE THU-04/02/2009
UNI
THURSDAY
5,678,000

3
MANANA PARA SIEMPRE TUE-03/31/2009
UNI
TUESDAY
5,504,000

4
MANANA PARA SIEMPRE WED-04/01/2009
UNI
WEDNESDAY
5,381,000

5
CUIDADO CON EL ANGEL MON-03/30/2009
UNI
MONDAY
5,202,000

6
MANANA PARA SIEMPRE FRI-04/03/2009
UNI
FRIDAY
5,184,000

7
CUIDADO CON EL ANGEL TUE-03/31/2009
UNI
TUESDAY
5,150,000

8
CUIDADO CON EL ANGEL WED-04/01/2009
UNI
WEDNESDAY
4,863,000

9
CUIDADO CON EL ANGEL THU-04/02/2009
UNI
THURSDAY
4,843,000

10
CUIDADO CON EL ANGEL FRI-04/03/2009
UNI
FRIDAY
4,694,000

Source: The Nielsen Company (March 30, 2009 – April 3, 2009)

RANK
NAME
NETWORK
DAY
VIEWERS (P2+)

1
WWE ENTERTAINMENT (WWE RAW)
USA
MONDAY
5,396,000

2
WWE ENTERTAINMENT (WWE RAW)
USA
MONDAY
4,999,000

3
NCIS
USA
TUESDAY
4,257,000

4
NCIS
USA
WEDNESDAY
4,252,000

5
NCIS
USA
MONDAY
4,049,000

6
PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR
NICK
SATURDAY
4,036,000

7
PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR
NICK
SUNDAY
4,024,000

8
PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR
NICK
SUNDAY
3,998,000

9
THE OREILLY FACTOR
FOXNC
WEDNESDAY
3,939,000

10
SPONGEBOB
NICK
SATURDAY
3,910,000

Source: The Nielsen Company (March 30, 2009 – April 3, 2009)

Consumers have more choices than ever from which to access media: traditional television, the Internet, and mobile devices like cell phones and iPods.  As more options exist, they serve to actually increase the amount of time people view media as opposed cutting into viewership of one format or another.  Despite the array of options, television continues to be the primary way Americans of all ages consume media.  In the last quarter of 2008, the average Nielsen household watched more than 151 hours of television per month.  Internet users logged on …

With the Final Four set to tip off in Detroit, MI this weekend, The Nielsen Company has assembled the following facts and figures looking at media and viewer data from the NCAA Tournament so far:

The average household rating for the tournament to date is 5.3%. The number is up a tick from the 5.2% through the same time last year.
An average of 9.6 million viewers tuned in to the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games this year – the most average viewership for those games since 2006.
The most-watched session of …

In troubled times, global diners seem to be searching for comfort in the familiar. A Nielsen survey of consumers in 52 countries finds diners choosing restaurants that serve their local cuisine and offer a value.

While giving loved ones chocolate is synonymous with Valentine’s Day, far more chocolate is actually sold in the week leading up to Easter, according to Nielsen.  Consumers will buy almost a half billion dollars of candy during that time, with approximately 70 percent of that spent on chocolate.  Nearly 71 million pounds of chocolate candy is sold in the week leading up to Easter, compared to approximately 48 million pounds sold during Valentine’s week.  By comparison, nearly 90 million pounds of chocolate candy is sold during Halloween week.   Other key …