CBS HAS A CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK PLACING FIRST IN VIEWERS AND KEY DEMOGRAPHICS

CBS Posts the Best Deliveries by Any Network this Season in Viewers and Adults 25-54 and Matches Best Adult 18-49 Rating

"AFC Championship Game" is the Most Watched Broadcast of the Season and Highest Rated in Adults 18-49, Adults 25-54 and Key Male Demos

CBS Has Every Show in the Top 10 Not Named "American Idol"

A Special Post-Game "The Mentalist" Delivers the Series Best Adult 18-49 Rating

24.25 Million Viewers Bid Farewell to CSI Gil Grissom, the Series' Largest Audience Since the Season 8 Premiere in September 2007

CBS placed first in viewers and key demographics in dominating fashion, posting the best deliveries by any network this season in viewers and adults 25-54 while matching the best adult 18-49 rating, according to Nielsen live plus same day ratings for the week ending Jan. 18, week 17 of the 2008-2009 television season.

CBS won four nights-Monday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday-in all key demos in a week that featured the AFC Championship Game (Baltimore at Pittsburgh) which now ranks as the most watched primetime broadcast of the season (40.65m) and highest rated in adults 18-49 (14.7/36), adults 25-54 (16.6/37), men 18-49 (18.8/44), men 18-34 (15.2/41) and men 25-54 (21.2/45).

CBS had 8 of the week's top 10 programs including CSI, the #1 scripted program that featured William Petersen's final episode which delivered 24.25 million viewers, the series' largest audience since the season 8 premiere in September 2007. The week also saw record high ratings for THE BIG BANG THEORY, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, FLASHPOINT and the highest adult 18-49 delivery for an episode of THE MENTALIST, which had a special Sunday broadcast following the AFC Championship Game.

For the week in viewers: CBS (17.04m), FOX (12.81m), ABC (6.73m) and NBC (6.15m). Season-to-date, CBS is first in viewers (11.92m), ahead of ABC (9.09m), FOX (8.51m) and NBC (7.96m).

Season-to-date compared to last season, CBS is the only broadcast network to improve its viewers delivery (from 11.53m, +3%).

For the week in key demographics, CBS was first in both adults 25-54 (6.2/15) and adults 18-49 (5.0/13). Season-to-date, CBS is first in adults 25-54 (4.2/10) and adults 18-49 (3.2/09). Compared to the same week last year (which did not include the primetime AFC Championship Game), CBS was up +60% in households, +75% in viewers, +94% in adults 25-54 and +108% in adults 18-49.

For the week in households: CBS (10.1/16), FOX (7.1/11), ABC (4.3/07) and NBC (3.9/06). Season-to-date, CBS is first (7.4/12), ahead of ABC (5.8/09), FOX (5.1/08) and NBC (5.0/08).

CBS's Weekly Highlights:

-- Monday, CBS was first in households (8.5/13), viewers (13.78m), adults 25-54 (5.4/12) and adults 18-49 (4.4/11). This is CBS's best Monday performance in households and viewers this season, second best in adults 25-54 and adults 18-49. CBS won Monday in adults 25-54 and adults 18-49 for the 9th time in 10 weeks.

? THE BIG BANG THEORY was first in households (7.1/11), adults 25-54 (5.3/12), adults 18-49 (4.4/11), tied for first in adults 18-34 (3.3/09, with FOX) and second in viewers (11.81m, -0.10m behind FOX). This is THE BIG BANG THEORY's best delivery to date in households, viewers, adults 25-54 and adults 18-49, second best adults 18-34 performance. This was the second consecutive first-run broadcast to post series highs in households, viewers, adults 25-54 and adults 18-49.

? HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER was first in households (6.8/10), adults 25-54 (5.4/12), adults 18-49 (4.8/12), adults 18-34 (4.0/10) and second in viewers (11.76m, -0.15m behind FOX). This is HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER's best delivery to date in adults 18-49, matched series high in adults 25-54, posted the second best viewers and adults 18-34 delivery and was the best household performance since September 18, 2006.

? TWO AND A HALF MEN was first in households (10.2/15), viewers (17.10m), adults 25-54 (7.0/15), adults 18-49 (5.6/13) and tied for first in adults 18-34 (3.6/09, with FOX). TWO AND A HALF MEN matched its season's best adults 18-49 delivery, posted the season's second best households, viewers and adults 25-54 performances and matched the second best adults 18-34 delivery this season.

? NCIS was second in households (11.3/17), viewers (18.62m), adults 25-54 (5.4/12) and adults 18-49 (3.7/09). Compared to last week (when the program did not air against "American Idol"), NCIS retained 97% each of its households (from 11.6/18), viewers (from 19.10m) and adults 18-49 (from 3.8/10) and 96% of adults 25-54 (from 5.6/13). Compared to the NCIS season live plus same day average, the drama was up +6% in both households (from 10.7/17) and adults 18-49 (from 3.5/10), +8% in adults 25-54 (from 5.0/12) and added +1.18m viewers (from 17.44m, +7%).

? THE MENTALIST was second in households (11.0/16), viewers (18.07m), adults 25-54 (5.6/11) and adults 18-49 (3.8/09). Compared to last week (when the program did not air against "American Idol" and delivered series high ratings), THE MENTALIST retained 90% of its households delivery (from 12.2/18), 92% of viewers (from 19.62m), 95% of both adults 25-54 (from 5.9/13) and adults 18-49 (from 4.0/10). Compared to THE MENTALIST season live plus same day average, the drama was up +8% in households (from 10.2/15), +8% in adults 25-54 (from 5.2/12), +6% in adults 18-49 (from 3.6/10) and added +1.63m (from 16.44m, +10%).

? CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION (9:15-10:16PM) was first in households (14.4/22), viewers (24.25m), adults 25-54 (8.7/19) and adults 18-49 (6.6/16) in the 9:00-10:00PM time period. This is CSI's best delivery in both households and viewers since September 27, 2007 (season 8 premiere) and in both adults 25-54 and adults 18-49 since October 9, 2008 (season 9 premiere). This is the largest audience for a scripted program season-to-date.

? FLASHPOINT was first in households (6.5/11), viewers (10.28m), adults 25-54 (3.3/08) and adults 18-49 (2.3/07) for the second consecutive week. Compared to last week's season premiere, FLASHPOINT was up +5% in households (from 6.2/10), +6% in adults 25-54 (from 3.1/08), +10% in adults 18-49 (from 2.1/06) and added +280,000 viewers (from 10.00m, +3%). This was CBS's best delivery in the time period with a first-run regularly scheduled program in both households and viewers since May 11, 2007 ("Close to Home"), in adults 25-54 since November 16, 2007 ("Moonlight") and in adults 18-49 since January 18, 2008 ("Moonlight" same night last year).

--Sunday, CBS, with AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME ON CBS "Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers" (S) (6:44-10:19 PM), was first in households, viewers and key men and adult demographics. From 7:00-11:00PM, CBS was first in households (20.5/32), viewers (37.63m), adults 25-54 (15.3/34), adults 18-49 (13.4/33), men 25-54 (19.4/42), men 18-49 (17.1/40) and men 18-34 (13.7/37). From 7:00-11:00pm, CBS posted the best prime deliveries for any network on any night since Super Bowl XLII (New York Giants at New England Patriots) on FOX on February 3, 2008 in households, viewers, key men demos, adults 25-54 and adults 18-49. This is CBS's best prime deliveries in households, viewers, key men demos, adults 25-54 and adults 18-49 on any night since February 4, 2007, Super Bowl XLI (Indianapolis Colts at Chicago Bears).

? The AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME ON CBS scored a 22.0/34 in households with 40.65m viewers, 16.6/37 in adults 25-54, 14.7/36 in adults 18-49, 21.2/45 in men 25-54, 18.8/44 in men 18-49 and 15.2/41 in men 18-34. The AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME ON CBS scored this season's best primetime deliveries of any broadcast in households, viewers and key adult and men demos.

? The AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME POST GAME SHOW (S) (10:21-10:34PM) posted a 14.5/23 in households, 10.6/24 in adults 25-54, 9.0/22 in adults 18-49, 12.8/29 in men 25-54, 10.8/26 in men 18-49 and 7.8/22 in men 18-34.

? THE MENTALIST SUNDAY SPECIAL (S) (10:34-11:34PM) posted a 10.0/17 with 16.39m viewers, 5.8/14 in adults 25-54, 4.6/12 in adults 18-49 and 3.1/09 in adults 18-34. This is the best delivery for any episode of THE MENTALIST in adults 18-49 and adults 18-34, third best adults 25-54 performance (behind two of the last three first run Tuesday broadcasts).

CBS top programs of the week: #1 AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME ON CBS "Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers" (S) (an average of 40.65m viewers), #4 AFC CHAMPIONSHIP POST GAME ON CBS (S) (25.44m), #5 CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION (24.25m), #6 NCIS (18.62m), #7 THE MENTALIST (18.07m), #8 TWO AND A HALF MEN (17.10m), #9 THE MENTALIST SUNDAY SPECIAL (S) (16.39m), #10 CSI: MIAMI (15.83m), #11 CSI - 8PM SPECIAL (R) (S) (15.52m), #12 CRIMINAL MINDS (13.78m), #13 ELEVENTH HOUR (13.16m), #16 CSI: NY (12.67m), #17 WITHOUT A TRACE (12.42m), #19 THE BIG BANG THEORY (11.81m), #20 HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (11.76m), #21 NUMB3RS (11.02m), #22 GHOST WHISPERER (10.58m), #23 WORST WEEK (10.36m) and #24 FLASH POINT (10.28m).

Prime averages are based on the following hours of rated broadcasts in Week #17:

CBS: 21 hours and 45 minutes

NBC: 21 hours and 45 minutes

ABC: 21 hours and 45 minutes

FOX: 14 hours and 45 minutes