NBC DELIVERS PRIMETIME'S BIGGEST GAINS VERSUS LAST YEAR FOR THE WEEK AND THE SEASON

THE PEACOCK IS UP 18 PERCENT IN 18-49 THROUGH TWO WEEKS OF THE 2006-07 SEASON WHILE CBS IS FLAT AND ABC AND FOX ARE DOWN

THE PEACOCK GENERATES YEAR-TO-YEAR GAINS ON FOUR NIGHTS LAST WEEK

'HEROES' IS THE WEEK'S TOP-RATED NEW SERIES IN ADULTS 18-49, 18-34 AND 25-54

BURBANK, Calif. � October 3, 2006 � With a 16 percent increase in adults 18-49, NBC was the most-improved network in primetime versus the same week last year, averaging a 3.7 rating and 10 share in 18-49 and 10.4 million viewers overall for the week of September 25-October 1, according to in-home viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research.

Versus the second week of last season, NBC this week was up 16 percent in adults 18-49 (3.7 vs. 3.2), up 16 percent in adults 25-54 (4.4 vs. 3.8) and up 14 percent in total viewers (10.4 million vs. 9.1 million).

For the first two weeks of the 2006-07 television season, NBC is the only network showing year-to-year gains in adults 18-49, where the network is up 18 percent versus the same period last year (3.9 rating versus 3.3). In that same comparison, CBS is flat, ABC is down 5 percent and Fox is down 7 percent. Season-to-date in total viewers, all four major networks are up year-to-year, with NBC reporting easily the biggest increases. NBC is up versus the opening two weeks of the season last year by 13 percent in total viewers (10.7 million vs. 9.5 million) while CBS is up 1 percent, ABC is up 2 percent and Fox is up 0.1 percent.

NBC posted year-to-year gains on four nights last week in 18-49 � Monday (+18%), Friday (+88%), Saturday (+19%) and Sunday (+103%).

NBC's "Heroes" was the highest-rated freshman series on television in the key demographic of adults 18-49 last week, with its debut on Monday, Sept. 25 ranking #6 among all programs in that key demo. Overall, NBC had three of the top 10 telecasts of the week (out of a total 102 programs) among adults 18-49, with "NBC Sunday Night Football" (#4), "ER (#5) and "Heroes (#6). "Heroes" was also the week's top-ranked freshman series in adults 18-34 and adults 25-54. In addition to ranking #4 in adults 18-49, "NBC Sunday Night Football" was #6 for the week in household rating and #1 among men 18-49.

The key race in the demographic of adults 18-49 was extremely close this week, with only three-tenths of an 18-49 rating point separating ABC, CBS and NBC. Primetime averages for the week of September 25-October 1 in adults 18-49 were ABC (4.0/11), CBS (3.9/11), NBC (3.7/10), Fox (2.6/7), Univision (1.7/5), CW (1.5/4) and Telemundo (0.4/1). In overall total viewers the weekly averages were CBS (12.8 million), ABC (11.5 million), NBC (10.4 million), Fox (6.5 million), Univision (3.7 million), CW (3.5 million) and Telemundo (0.9 million).

NBC highlights for the week of September 25-October 1:

* On Monday, the debut of "Heroes" delivered NBC's highest 18-49 rating and overall viewer total for any fall drama premiere in five years and was also the highest-rated 9 p.m. ET drama premiere on any network since the launch of "Desperate Housewives" nearly two years ago. "Heroes" ranked #1 in its hour in adults 18-49, adults 18-34, adults 25-54 and total viewers.

* Also on Monday, NBC's new primetime line-up of "Deal or No Deal," "Heroes" and "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" combined to give NBC its second consecutive Monday win of the new season in adults 18-49, up 18 percent in the demo and 17 percent in total viewers versus the second Monday of last season.

* On Sunday, NBC was #1 in primetime in adults 18-49 and in total viewers, paced by "NBC Sunday Night Football," which was up 10 percent in adults 18-49 and 8 percent in total viewers versus last year's comparable game on ABC's "Monday Night Football" on October 3, 2005. "NBC Sunday Night Football" has outscored the comparable year-ago ABC "Monday Night Football" game with each of its five telecasts to date.

* NBC won Friday night in 18-49 with an 88 percent increase in the demo versus its premiere Friday average last year. For the second week in a row, "Law & Order" won its Friday slot in adults 18-49, up 107 percent versus NBC's performance in the hour on the same night last season.

* On Thursday, "ER" won its time period decisively in adults18-49, adults 25-54 and adults 18-34 versus rival dramas that benefited from sizable lead-in advantages. To win the hour in 18-49, "ER" built on NBC's rating from the previous hour by 91 percent, while CBS' "Shark" declined by 48 percent versus its "CSI" lead-in and ABC's "Six Degrees" declined by 57 percent versus its lead-in from "Grey's Anatomy."

* Also on Thursday, "The Office" built by 12 percent in 18-49 on its "Earl" lead-in, marking the second time in a row and the second time ever that "Office" has built on an original "Earl" lead-in. "The Office" ranked #1 in its highly competitive time period among men 18-34.

* On Tuesday, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" dominated its time period by virtually all key measures, generating a 52 percent margin of victory in 18-49 over CBS' "Smith" in second place. Also on Tuesday, "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" grew dramatically from half-hour to half-hour, surging from fourth to first place in adults 18-49 from its first half-hour to its second.

* On Wednesday, the two-hour season premiere of "The Biggest Loser" was up 38 percent in 18-49 rating versus NBC's performance on the same Wednesday last year. "Biggest Loser" grew dramatically from its first half-hour to its last, increasing by 57 percent in 18-49 rating and by more than 2.4 million viewers overall.

Ratings reflect "live plus same day" data unless otherwise noted.

Additional NBC highlights for the week of September 25-October 1:

On Monday, September 25 at 8 p.m. ET, "Deal or No Deal" (3.8 rating, 10 share in 18-49, 13.0 million viewers overall) was #1 in its time period in adults 18-49, total viewers and other key measures. "Deal" was up 31 percent in 18-49 versus NBC's results in this time period on the same night last year.

Monday at 9 p.m. ET, the debut of "Heroes" (5.9/14 in 18-49, 14.1 million viewers overall) delivered NBC's highest 18-49 rating and overall viewer total for any fall drama premiere in five years (since "Crossing Jordan" on Monday, Sept. 24, 2001). It was also the top-rated premiere of a 9 p.m. drama on any network since the debut of "Desperate Housewives" on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2004.

"Heroes" soared above the time period competition in the key demographic of adults 18-49, with a 37 percent margin of victory over second place (5.9 vs. a 4.3 for CBS' comedies). "Heroes" also won the hour in adults 18-34, adults 25-54, total viewers and other key measures. "Heroes" was up 48 percent versus NBC's 2005-06 season average in the time period, excluding sports (5.9 vs. 4.0). From its first half-hour to its second, "Heroes" grew by 11 percent (to a 6.2/15 from a 5.6/14) and by 1.1 million viewers overall.

"Heroes" finished within one tenth of an 18-49 rating point of the highest rating so far this fall for any new series premiere, close behind the Sunday, Sept. 24 debut of "Brothers & Sisters" on ABC. By comparison, "Brothers & Sisters" benefited from a 9.6 lead-in rating in 18-49 that night from "Desperate Housewives," while "Heroes" had a 3.8 lead-in on Monday, Sept. 25.

Monday at 10 p.m. ET, "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" (4.2/11 in 18-49, 10.8 million viewers overall) was up 5 percent in adults 18-49 versus NBC's season average for the time period last year (4.2 vs. 4.0, excluding sports). "Studio 60" ranked #2 for the time period in most key demographics.

NBC won the its second consecutive Monday night of the new season in adults 18-49, averaging a first-place 4.7/12 for the night, up 18 percent versus the second Monday of last season (a 4.0/10 on September 26, 2005). NBC was up 17 percent in total viewers versus its year-ago Monday performance (13.4 million vs. 11.5 million).

On Tuesday Sept. 26 at 9 p.m. ET, "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" (3.5/9 in 18-49, 10.6 million viewers overall) built dramatically from its first half-hour to its second, jumping from a fourth-place 3.1/8 from 8-8:30 p.m. to a first place 3.8/10 from 9:30-10 p.m., a 23 percent increase in the demo. "Criminal Intent" increased by 84 percent in 18-49 rating versus its lead-in from the previous hour � a 1.9/5 in 18-49 and 4.9 million viewers overall for an encore telecast of Monday's premiere episode of "Heroes."

Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET, "Law & Order: SVU" (5.0/14 in adults 18-49, 14.4 million viewers overall) dominated its time period by all key measures. In adults 18-49, "SVU" generated a 52 percent margin of victory over second-place (5.0 vs. a 3.3 for CBS' "Smith"). "SVU" beat the ABC-CBS drama competition combined among women 18-34.

On Wednesday, September 27 from 8-10 p.m. ET, "The Biggest Loser" (2.9/8 in 18-49, 7.1 million viewers overall) was up 38 percent in 18-49 rating versus NBC's performance in this time period on the same Wednesday last year (2.9 vs. a 2.1 on September 28, 2005). "The Biggest Loser" grew dramatically from its first half-hour to its fourth, increasing by 57 percent in 18-49 rating (to a 3.6/9 from a 2.3/7) and by more than 2.4 million viewers overall (to 8.4 million from 5.9 million). In the 9-10 p.m. hour, "The Biggest Loser" ranked #2 in adults 18-49, adults 18-34 and other key measures.

And Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET, "Kidnapped" averaged a 2.2/6 in 18-49 and 6.3 million viewers overall.

On Thursday, September 28 at 8 p.m. ET, "My Name is Earl" averaged a 3.4/10 in 18-49 and 8.1 million viewers overall. "Earl" ranked #1 in its highly competitive time period among men 18-34 (tied with CBS' "Survivor").

Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET, "The Office" (3.8/10 in 18-49, 7.8 million viewers overall) built by 12 percent in 18-49 on its "Earl" lead-in, marking the second time in a row and the second time ever that "Office" has built on an original "Earl" lead-in. "The Office" ranked #1 in its time period among men 18-34.

Thursday from 9-10:01 p.m. ET, "Deal or No Deal" averaged a 3.2/8 in 18-49 and 9.5 million viewers overall. From half-hour to half-hour, "Deal" built by 10 percent in 18-49 rating (to a 3.4/8 from a 3.1/7) and by 12 percent in overall viewership (to 10.0 million from 8.9 million).

Thursday from 10:01-11 p.m. ET, "ER" (6.1/17 in 18-49, 14.4 million viewers overall) dominated its time period in adults 18-49, adults 25-54 and adults 18-34 versus rival dramas that benefited from sizable lead-in advantages. In 18-49, "ER" built on NBC's rating from the previous hour by 91 percent, while CBS' "Shark" declined by 48 percent versus its "CSI" lead-in (to a 4.2 from an 8.0) and ABC's "Six Degrees" declined by 57 percent versus its lead-in from "Grey's Anatomy" (to a 4.1 from a 9.5). From half-hour to half-hour, "ER" increased in 18-49 rating by 0.1 of a point, while at the same time, "Shark" declined by 0.3 of a point and "Six Degrees" fell by 1.1 points.

On Friday, September 29 from 8-9 p.m. ET, "Deal or No Deal" (2.8/10 in 18-49, 10.5 million viewers overall) was up 100 percent in 18-49 rating versus NBC's performance in this slot on the same night last season (2.8/10 vs. 1.4/5). "Deal" finished 0.1 of a rating point out of first place in 18-49 and ranked #1 in adults 18-34, total viewers and other key measures.

Friday at 9 p.m. ET, "Dateline NBC" (3.2/11 in 18-49, 8.9 million viewers overall) ranked #1 in adults 18-49 and adults 25-54, improving on NBC's performance in this hour on the same night last year by 68 percent in 18-49 (3.2/11 vs. 1.9/6). "Dateline" matched NBC's highest 18-49 rating in this time period since March 17.

Friday at 10 p.m. ET, "Law & Order" (3.1/10 in 18-49, 10.0 million viewers overall) locked up the time period win in adults 18-49 and adults 18-34. "Law & Order" was up 107 percent in 18-49 versus NBC's year-ago premiere Friday performance in the time period (3.1/10 vs. 1.5/5).

NBC won Friday night in adults 18-49 with an 88 percent increase in the demo versus its Friday average on the same night last year (3.0/10 vs. 1.6/5).

On Saturday, September 30 from 8-10 p.m. ET, "Dateline NBC" (1.8/6 in 18-49, 6.9 million viewers overall) improved by 38 percent in 18-49 versus NBC's performance in this time period on the same night last year (1.8/6 vs. 1.3/5). From its first half-hour to its fourth, "Dateline" increased by 40 percent in 18-49 (to a 2.1/7 from a 1.5/6).

Saturday at 10 p.m. ET, an encore "Law & Order; SVU" (2.1/7 in 18-49, 6.9 million viewers overall) was the #1 non-sports choice by virtually all key measures and was #1 overall among women 18-49 and women 25-54.

On Saturday night, NBC was up 19 percent in 18-49 versus the same night last year (1.9/6 in 18-49 vs. 1.6/5). In total viewers, the increase was 36 percent, or 1.8 million viewers (6.9 million vs. 5.1 million).

On Sunday, October 1, the "NBC Sunday Night Football" telecast of the Chicago Bears versus the Seattle Seahawks averaged a 6.7/17 in adults 18-49, 16.9 million viewers overall and a 10.8/17 household rating and share from 8:21-11:11 p.m. ET.

Versus the comparable telecast of ABC's "Monday Night Football" last year on October 3, 2005, "NBC Sunday Night Football" this week was up 12 percent in adults 18-49 (6.7 vs. 6.0), 9 percent in total viewers (16.9 million vs. 15.6 million) and 5 percent in households (10.8 vs. 10.3). After five games, "NBC Sunday Night Football" is averaging 18.6 million viewers, 12 percent higher than ABC's "MNF" through five games in 2005, and a 12.0/19 in households, 9 percent higher than "MNF" after five games in 2005 (11.0/18, averages include Thursday night season openers). Each "NBC Sunday Night Football" game to date has out-rated and out-drawn the respective "MNF" games from 2005.

Also on Sunday, "Football Night in America 2" from 7:30-7:58 p.m. ET averaged a 2.5/8 in 18-49, 6.3 million viewers overall and a 4.2/7 in households. "Football Night in America 3" from 7:58-8:13 p.m. delivered a 3.7/11 in 18-49, 9.7 million viewers overall and a 6.4/11 in households. From 8:13-8:21 p.m., "NBC Sunday Night Football Pre Kickoff" averaged a 4.6/13 in 18-49, 11.8 million viewers overall and a 7.5/12 in households. Note: "Football Night in America" from 7-7:30 p.m. ET was sustaining programming and does not figure in the nightly or weekly primetime averages.

NBC won Sunday night in adults 18-49 and total viewers. It's NBC's first in-season Sunday win in adults 18-49 (excluding Olympics) since January 2, 2005 and first in-season Sunday win in total viewers (excluding Olympics) since May 16, 2004. For the night, NBC averaged a 5.9/15 in 18-49, 15.0 million viewers overall and a 9.6/15 in households. Versus the same Sunday last season (October 2, 2005), NBC was up 103 percent in adults 18-49 (5.9 vs. 2.9), up 53 percent in total viewers (15.0 million vs. 9.8 million) and up 45 percent in households (9.6/15 vs. 6.6/10).

After four Sundays from 7:30-11 p.m., NBC's NFL Sunday Night is averaging a 10.3 household rating and a 6.3 18-49 rating, which is NBC's highest Sunday delivery for these categories in this time period since the 1997-98 primetime season (10.4 household rating, 6.9 adult 18-49 rating).