Nielsen Wire » Game 5

Top 10 Broadcast TV Rankings: Oct. 27 – Nov. 2, 2008

admin — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 13:01:07 +0000

Rank	Program	Network	Viewers (P2+)
1	FOX WRLD SERIES GM5 CONCL(S)	FOX	19,844,000
2	CSI	CBS	19,098,000
3	DANCING WITH THE STARS	ABC	18,876,000
4	DANCING W/STARS RESULTS	ABC	17,445,000
5	NCIS	CBS	17,258,000
6	NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL	NBC	16,741,000
7	MENTALIST, THE	CBS	16,073,000
8	DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES	ABC	15,933,000
9	GREY’S ANATOMY-THU 9PM	ABC	15,319,000
10	60 MINUTES	CBS	14,322,000
Source: The Nielsen Company (October 27, 2008 – November 2, 2008).

Primetime Broadcast Ratings, October 27, 2008

admin — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 18:33:33 +0000

ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” was the number one-ranked primetime telecast on broadcast TV for Monday, October 27, 2008.

Game 5 of the MLB World Series, which aired on FOX, claimed second place, and CBS’s “Two And A Half Men” rounded out the top three.

Rank	Program	Network	Viewers (P2+)
1	DANCING WITH THE STARS	ABC	18,876,000
2	FOX WORLD SERIES GAME 5(S)-10/27/2008	FOX	13,237,000
3	TWO AND A HALF MEN	CBS	11,881,000
4	CSI: MIAMI	CBS	10,587,000
5	SAMANTHA WHO?	ABC	10,470,000
6	GARY UNMARRIED-MON 930 SP(S)-10/27/2008	CBS	8,654,000
7	BOSTON LEGAL	ABC	8,581,000
8	HEROES	NBC	8,189,000
9	BIG BANG THEORY, THE	CBS	7,932,000
10	HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER	CBS	7,260,000
Source: The Nielsen Company (October 27, 2008).

Overall, ABC won the night with an average audience of almost 14.2 million viewers, while FOX took second place with just over 12.1 million average viewers. CBS and NBC claimed third and fourth places with roughly 9.5 million and 6.7 million average viewers, respectively. Univision and the CW followed in fifth and sixth places with average audiences of just over 4.8 million and 3.1 million average viewers, respectively.

Red Sox V. Rays Game 7 Draws Record-Breaking TV Ratings

admin — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:10:05 +0000

Game seven of the closely contested American League Championship Series between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays drew the largest ever TV audience of any MLB playoff game aired on cable, Nielsen reported Tuesday.

The game, which aired on TBS Sunday night, drew almost 13.4 million average viewers, easily surpassing game four of last year’s Indians v. Yankees division series, which claimed second place overall with 9.2 million average viewers.

TV viewership of the ALCS games surged after the Red Sox overcame a seven-run deficit in game five to beat the Rays and stay in the series.

Last Thursday, game five drew 7.2 million average viewers. Game six of the series pulled in 8.9 million viewers, securing third place in Nielsen’s ranking of the all-time top MLB playoff game broadcasts on cable TV.

Rank	Top 10 MLB Playoff Games Broadcast On Cable TV	Date	Network	Viewers (P2+)
1	RED SOX-RAYS 7	10/19/2008	TBSC	13,357,000
2	INDIANS-YANKEES 4	10/8/2007	TBSC	9,232,000
3	RED SOX-RAYS 6	10/18/2008	TBSC	8,928,000
4	INDIANS-YANKEES 3	10/7/2007	TBSC	8,460,000
5	BRAVES/CUBS	10/3/2003	ESPN	8,126,000
6	YANKEES-INDIANS 2	10/5/2007	TBSC	7,578,000
7	CUBS/BRAVES	10/1/2003	ESPN	7,432,000
8	ANGELS/YANKEES	10/7/2005	ESPN	7,212,000
9	RAYS-RED SOX 5	10/16/2008	TBSC	7,211,000
10	TWINS/YANKEES	10/6/2004	ESPN	6,811,000
Source: The Nielsen Company (1996 – 2008).

View Nielsen’s full ranking of MLB playoffs ratings, dating back to 1996.

Read coverage of Nielsen’s findings in Mediaweek.

Top 10 Cable TV Rankings: October 13 – 19, 2008

admin — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:04:19 +0000

RANK	PROGRAM	NETWORK	DAYS	VIEWERS (P2+)
1	MLB ALCS (RED SOX-RAYS 7)	TBSC	SUNDAY	13,357,000
2	NFL REGULAR SEASON L (GIANTS/BROWNS)	ESPN	MONDAY	11,422,000
3	PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE(S)-10/15/2008	FOXNC	WEDNESDAY	9,068,000
4	SR/PRES DEBATE 3 2008(S)-10/15/2008	CNN	WEDNESDAY	8,931,000
5	MLB ALCS (RED SOX-RAYS 6)	TBSC	SATURDAY	8,928,000
6	ANDERSON COOPER 360	CNN	WEDNESDAY	7,795,000
7	SPONGEBOB	NICK	MONDAY	7,666,000
8	ON THE RECORD W/GRETA	FOXNC	WEDNESDAY	7,394,000
9	MLB ALCS (RAYS-RED SOX 5)	TBSC	THURSDAY	7,211,000
10	SPONGEBOB	NICK	MONDAY	5,778,000
Source: The Nielsen Company (October 13, 2008 – October 19, 2008).

Red Sox And Rays Deliver Game 5 Ratings “Rollercoaster”

admin — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 17:40:57 +0000

Baseball fans across the country might have been a little sleepy Friday morning after watching the Boston Red Sox’ late-night comeback victory against the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 5 of the MLB American League championship Series.

The game, in which the Red Sox trailed the Rays by seven runs as late as the seventh inning, was a rollercoaster ride for both teams’ fans — as reflected in the preliminary metered market TV ratings, released by Nielsen on Friday.

At the close of the game’s first hour, one-quarter of all Boston households were watching, but that audience eroded steadily in the game’s second hour, as the Rays widened their lead over the Red Sox.

With the Red Sox down 0-7 in the top of the seventh inning, just 15.1% of local Boston households — a game low — remained. But just 30 minutes later, when Boston scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, that percentage jumped to 22.1%, as Boston households returned to their TVs to watch the game heat up.

Household viewing in the Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg, Florida market hovered between 20% and 25% for much of the game.

Overall viewing among Nielsen’s top 56 metered markets also remained steady — at 5% to 6% of all households — throughout the game.

Primetime Broadcast Ratings, October 15, 2008

admin — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 20:50:47 +0000

NBC’s post-debate analysis of the final presidential debate between Senators John McCain and Barack Obama edged past ABC’s post-debate coverage to claim the number one spot in Nielsen’s ranking of the top primetime telecasts on broadcast TV for Wednesday, October 15, 2008.

FOX, which aired live coverage of Game 5 of Major League Baseball’s National League Championship Series — instead of the debate, rounded out the top three.

CBS’s post-debate analysis also made the top ten.

RANK	PROGRAM	NETWORK	VIEWERS (P2+)
1	DECISION ‘08:PRES ANALYS3(S)-10/15/2008	NBC	9,091,000
2	VOTE2008:ANALYSIS-WED(S)-10/15/2008	ABC	8,864,000
3	FOX MLB NLCS GAME 5(S)-10/15/2008	FOX	8,029,000
4	OLD CHRISTINE	CBS	7,613,000
5	GARY UNMARRIED	CBS	7,529,000
6	KNIGHT RIDER	NBC	7,470,000
7	CAMPAIGN ‘08-DEBATE ANL-3(S)-10/15/2008	CBS	7,189,000
8	PUSHING DAISIES	ABC	6,108,000
9	FOX MLB NLCS GAME 5 PRE(S)-10/15/2008	FOX	5,113,000
10	AMERICA’S TOP MODEL-5	CW	3,207,000
Source: The Nielsen Company (October 15, 2008).

Overall, NBC won the night with an average audience of almost 8 million viewers, while FOX took second place with almost 7.8 million average viewers. CBS and ABC claimed third and fourth places with roughly 7.4 million and 7 million average viewers, respectively. Univision and the CW followed in fifth and sixth places with average audiences of roughly 2.8 million and 2.4 million viewers, respectively.