Primetime Broadcast Ratings, December 31, 2008
ABC’s “New Year’s Rockin Eve ‘09 Special” claimed the top slot in Nielsen’s ranking of the top primetime telecasts on broadcast TV for Wednesday, December 31, 2008. The telecast drew just over 8.5 million average viewers on New Years Eve.
CBS’s “CSI: NY Special” and “Criminal Minds Special” rounded out the top three, with 6.9 and 6.7 millon average viewers, respectively.
| Rank | Program | Network | Viewers (P2+) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NEW YEAR’S ROCKIN EVE ‘09(S)-12/31/2008 | ABC | 8,549,000 |
| 2 | CSI: NY SPECIAL(S)-12/31/2008 | CBS | 6,850,000 |
| 3 | CRIMINAL MINDS SPECIAL(S)-12/31/2008 | CBS | 6,699,000 |
| 4 | ABC WED MOVIE OF WK-12/31(S)-12/31/2008 | ABC | 6,308,000 |
| 5 | BONES SP-NY EVE 8P(S)-12/31/2008 | FOX | 4,671,000 |
| 6 | KNIGHT RIDER 12/31(S)-12/31/2008 | NBC | 4,540,000 |
| 7 | BONES SP-NY EVE 9P(S)-12/31/2008 | FOX | 4,452,000 |
| 8 | OLD CHRISTINE SPECIAL(S)-12/31/2008 | CBS | 4,132,000 |
| 9 | LAW AND ORDER:SVU 12/31(S)-12/31/2008 | NBC | 4,034,000 |
| 10 | GARY UNMARRIED SPECIAL(S)-12/31/2008 | CBS | 3,893,000 |
| Source: The Nielsen Company (December 31, 2008). | |||
Overall, ABC won the night with an average audience of almost 7.1 million viewers, while CBS took second place with almost 5.9 million average viewers. FOX and NBC claimed third and fourth places with roughly 4.6 million and 4.2 million average viewers, respectively. Univision and the CW followed in fifth and sixth places with average audiences of roughly 3.2 million and 1.2 million average viewers, respectively.
