or


[09/23/09 - 09:22 AM]
CBS Has Its Largest Premiere Week Tuesday Audience Since 1993; Highest Rated in Demos Since 2004
CBS spins the numbers for Tuesday, September 22.

[via press release from CBS]

CBS HAS ITS LARGEST PREMIERE WEEK TUESDAY AUDIENCE SINCE 1993; HIGHEST RATED IN DEMOS SINCE 2004

CBS Wins Tuesday in Viewers and Key Demos with Double Digit Across-the-Board Percentage Gains Over Last Year

ONLY CBS Is Up Versus Premiere Tuesday Last Year

The Seventh Season Premiere of "NCIS" Scores Its Largest Audience Ever and Highest Adult 18-49 and Adult 25-54 Ratings; No. 1 Show of the Night

The Series Premiere of "NCIS: Los Angeles" Posts Double Digit Time Period Percentage Gains Over Last Year's "The Mentalist" Premiere

The Series Premiere of "The Good Wife" Delivers Time Period's Largest Premiere Week Audience Since 2002

"Late Show" Doubles the Rating of "The Tonight Show" in Local Markets, Posting Its Highest Rated Tuesday Broadcast During Premiere Week Since 1996

"Late Late Show" Delivers It Highest Rated Premiere Week Tuesday Broadcast Since Craig Ferguson Became Host in 2005

CBS won the first Tuesday of the new season in viewers, adults 18-49 and adults 25-54 with double digit percentage gains in all key measures compared to last year, paced by all-time high ratings for NCIS, according to Nielsen preliminary live plus same day ratings for Sept. 22.

NCIS (P) won its time slot in households (12.0/19), viewers (20.00m), adults 25-54 (6.3/16) and adults 18-49 (4.6/13) at 8PM. Compared to last year's season premiere, NCIS was up +6% in households (from 11.3/18), +19% in adults 25-54 (from 5.3/13), +28% in adults 18-49 (from 3.6/10) and added +1.99m viewers (from 18.01m, +11%). These are series highs for NCIS in these measures.

At 9:00 PM, the series premiere of NCIS: LOS ANGELES was first in households (11.1/17), viewers (18.32m), adults 25-54 (5.9/14) and adults 18-49 (4.3/11). Compared to the time period delivery in premiere week last year (THE MENTALIST), NCIS: LOS ANGELES was up +12% in households (from 9.9/15), +18% in adults 25-54 (from 5.0/11), +23% in adults 18-49 (from 3.5/09) and added +2.68m viewers (from 15.64m, +17%).

At 10:00 PM, the series premiere of THE GOOD WIFE (P) at 10PM was first in households (9.2/16), viewers (13.72m), adults 25-54 (4.4/11) and adults 18-49 (3.1/09). Compared to premiere week Tuesday last year ("Without a Trace"), THE GOOD WIFE was up +24% in households (from 7.4/12), +19% in adults 25-54 (from 3.7/09), +11% in adults 18-49 (from 2.8/07) and added +2.39m viewers (from 11.33m, +21%). This is the time period's best premiere delivery in viewers since Oct. 2, 2002 ("Judging Amy").

For the night, CBS was first in households (10.8/17), viewers (17.35m), adults 25-54 (5.6/14) and adults 18-49 (4.0/11). CBS won every half-hour in viewers, adults 25-54 and adults 18-49. Year-to-year, CBS was up +16% in viewers, +21% in adults 18-49 and +19% in adults 25-54.

In late night, both LATE SHOW and THE LATE LATE SHOW continued to dominate in the metered markets.

LATE LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN, with guests former President Bill Clinton and LeBron James, averaged a 4.0/10 in the 56 metered markets, making this the highest rated LATE SHOW broadcast on a premiere week Tuesday since Sept. 17, 1996. LATE SHOW doubled the delivery of "Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien" (2.0/05).

THE LATE LATE SHOW with CRAIG FERGUSON, with guests Reba McEntire and Dave Annable, earned 1.7/07 in the 56 metered markets, the highest rating for LATE LATE SHOW on a premiere Tuesday since Craig Ferguson became host in 2005. LATE LATE SHOW beat "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" by +0.6 rating points (1.7/07 vs. 1.1/04).

Updated Tuesday ratings will be available this afternoon.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: What follows is the afternoon update with the final national Nielsen ratings.]

CBS HAS ITS LARGEST PREMIERE WEEK TUESDAY AUDIENCE SINCE 1993; HIGHEST RATED IN DEMOS SINCE 2004

Editors Note: NCIS premieres with over 20 million viewers. This updated primetime ratings release also includes updated Late Night ratings reflecting viewers and demographic ratings for "Late Show with David Letterman" and "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson"

CBS HAS ITS LARGEST PREMIERE WEEK TUESDAY AUDIENCE SINCE 1993; HIGHEST RATED IN DEMOS SINCE 2004

CBS Wins Tuesday in Viewers and Key Demos with Double Digit Across-the-Board Percentage Gains Over Last Year

ONLY CBS Is Up Versus Premiere Tuesday Last Year

The Seventh Season Premiere of "NCIS" Scores Its Largest Audience Ever and Highest Adult 18-49 and Adult 25-54 Ratings; No. 1 Show of the Night

The Series Premiere of "NCIS: Los Angeles" Posts Double Digit Time Period Percentage Gains Over Last Year's "The Mentalist" Premiere

The Series Premiere of "The Good Wife" Delivers Time Period's Largest Premiere Week Audience Since 2002

"Late Show" Tops "The Tonight Show" in Viewers and Key Demos with its Most Watched Broadcast on a Tuesday in Premiere Week Since 1995

"Late Late Show" Tops "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" in Viewers with its Most Watched Tuesday Broadcast in Premiere Week Since Craig Ferguson Became Host in 2005

CBS won the first Tuesday of the new season in viewers, adults 18-49 and adults 25-54 with double digit percentage gains in all key measures compared to last year, paced by all-time high ratings for NCIS, according to Nielsen live plus same day ratings for Sept. 22.

NCIS (P) won its time slot in households (12.4/20), viewers (20.60m), adults 25-54 (6.5/17) and adults 18-49 (4.8/14) at 8PM. Compared to last year's season premiere, NCIS was up +10% in households (from 11.3/18), +23% in adults 25-54 (from 5.3/13), +33% in adults 18-49 (from 3.6/10) and added +2.59m viewers (from 18.01m, +14%). These were series highs for NCIS in these measures. NCIS was the night's #1 program in households, viewers, adults 18-49 and adults 25-54.

At 9:00 PM, the series premiere of NCIS: LOS ANGELES was first in households (11.3/17), viewers (18.73m), adults 25-54 (6.1/14) and adults 18-49 (4.4/11). Compared to the time period delivery in premiere week last year (THE MENTALIST), NCIS: LOS ANGELES was up +14% in households (from 9.9/15), +22% in adults 25-54 (from 5.0/11), +26% in adults 18-49 (from 3.5/09) and added +3.09m viewers (from 15.64m, +20%). This was CBS's best viewers premiere delivery in the time period since Sept. 17, 1991 ("CBS Tuesday Movie: Coming to America").

The series premiere of THE GOOD WIFE (P) was first in households (9.2/16), viewers (13.71m), adults 25-54 (4.4/11) and adults 18-49 (3.1/08). Compared to premiere week Tuesday last year ("Without a Trace"), THE GOOD WIFE was up +24% in households (from 7.4/12), +19% in adults 25-54 (from 3.7/09), +11% in adults 18-49 (from 2.8/07) and added +2.38m viewers (from 11.33m, +21%). This is the time period's best premiere delivery in viewers since Oct. 2, 2002 ("Judging Amy").

For the night, CBS was first in households (10.9/17), viewers (17.65m), adults 25-54 (5.7/14) and adults 18-49 (4.1/11). This was CBS's best premiere week Tuesday delivery in households since September 25, 2001, in viewers since September 21, 1993 and in both adults 25-54 and adults 18-49 since September 21, 2004. CBS won every half-hour in viewers, adults 25-54 and adults 18-49. Year-to-year, CBS was up +18% in viewers, +24% in adults 18-49 and +21% in adults 25-54.

LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN, with guests Former President Bill Clinton and LeBron James, averaged a 3.7/10 HH rtg/shr with 5.145 million viewers in the fast affiliate ratings (11:30pm-12:30am). Last night was the highest rated telecast of LATE SHOW on Tuesday during premiere week since 3.8/11 on 9/25/01 and the most-watched since 5.156 million on 9/19/95

LATE SHOW topped "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien" by +85% in households (3.7/10 vs. 2.0/5, by + 2.29m in viewers (5.15 mil vs. 2.86 mil), by +25% in adults 25-54 (1.5 vs. 1.2) and by +9% in adults 18-49 (1.2 vs 1.1).

THE LATE LATE SHOW with CRAIG FERGUSON, with guests Reba McEntire and Dave Annablel, earned a 1.7/7 with 2.23 million viewers. Tuesday's broadcast was the highest rated and most watched LATE LATE SHOW on Tuesday during premiere week since Craig Ferguson become host of the program on 1/3/05. LATE LATE SHOW beat "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" by +55% in households (1.7/7 vs. 1.1/4), by +735,000 in viewers (2.23 mil vs. 1.496 mil) and tied in A25-54 (0.7).





  [september 2009]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
  


· GOOD WIFE, THE (CBS)
· JUDGING AMY (CBS)
· MENTALIST, THE (CBS)
· NCIS (CBS)
· NCIS: LOS ANGELES (CBS)
· WITHOUT A TRACE (CBS)





most recent ratings | view all posts
[07/23/26 - 04:01 PM]
ABC News Is No. 1 on Sunday Morning, Friday Night and Late Night
"20/20" was up over the previous week in all key target demos and improved year to year across the board.

[07/23/26 - 01:00 PM]
"Big Brother" Premiere Week Up +14% from Last Season
In its first week (episodes airing July 9, 12 and 15), "Big Brother" live plus 3-day total multiplatform viewership averaged 4.96 million viewers.

[07/22/26 - 01:19 PM]
Top 10 Most-Watched Prime Original Films & Series for the Week of July 13
"Ride or Die," "Elle," "Off Campus," "Every Year After," and "Clarkson's Farm" led all original series worldwide.

[07/22/26 - 12:37 PM]
Kansas City, Boston and Austin Lead the Way as Top Local Markets for FIFA World Cup 2026 on FOX and FS1
San Francisco, Dallas, San Diego, Atlanta, St. Louis, Providence, and West Palm Beach round out the top 10.

[07/22/26 - 11:30 AM]
ESPN Delivers Most-Watched NBA Summer League Championship Game Since 2017
The Golden State Warriors' victory over the Memphis Grizzlies averaged 676,000 viewers on ESPN, according to Nielsen Big Data + Panel.

[07/21/26 - 04:03 PM]
FOX Saturday Baseball Delivers 2.639 Million for Seattle's Extra-Inning Win Over San Francisco
Viewership peaked with 3,383,000 viewers from 8:00-8:15 PM ET.

[07/21/26 - 03:22 PM]
FOX Sports' Presentation of FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Etches Place in Record Books as Most-Watched Soccer Telecast in U.S. History With 38,937,000 Viewers
The record-breaking Final reached its dramatic peak with 51,685,000 viewers watching from 5:45 to 6:00 PM ET as Spain secured a 1-0 victory in extra time over Argentina.

[07/21/26 - 02:22 PM]
NBC Sports Delivers Most Watched Final Round of the Open Championship Since 2022
Sunday's audience peaked at 6.1 million viewers on NBC and Peacock from 1:15-1:30 p.m. ET.

[07/21/26 - 02:03 PM]
"Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro" Series Debut Tops 5 Million Total Viewers
On linear, "Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro" was the No. 1 program of the night in both Total Viewers (4.42 million) and Adults 18-49 (0.47 rating).

[07/21/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of July 13 - "Little House on the Prairie" Journeys to No. 1 in This Week's Top 10
"The Hawk" - the sports comedy starring Will Ferrell as an infamous golf legend chasing a late-career comeback on the green - debuted in the No. 3 spot on the list, swinging to 4.8 million views.

[07/20/26 - 10:00 AM]
CBS Leads Broadcast Series in Multiplatform Viewing for the 2025-2026 Season
Against broadcast competition, CBS finishes the season with four of the top five series.

[07/17/26 - 03:12 PM]
FOX Sports' 15.088 Million Average Viewers for FIFA World Cup 2026 Semifinals is Best in U.S. History
16.900 million viewers watched Argentina knock out England in the semifinals Wednesday afternoon on FOX.

[07/17/26 - 02:01 PM]
ABC News Is No. 1 in Total Viewers on Sunday Morning, in Late Night and Friday Evening
"20/20" improved on the year-ago telecast by double digits in all key target demos: Total Viewers, Adults 25-54, and Adults 18-49.

[07/16/26 - 02:41 PM]
FOX Sports Rings the Bell, Captures Most-Watched MLB All-Star Game Since 2018
Coverage reached a peak audience of 10,186,000 viewers from 8:45-9:00 PM ET.

[07/16/26 - 01:48 PM]
Netflix: What We Watched the First Half of 2026
Starting in Q1 2027, Netflix will move from a six-month to a yearly snapshot.