nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for sunday, october 9, 2011)

Here are the highlights of the 17 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night:

[EDITOR'S NOTE: ALCS Gm 2 was postponed due to rain and will be played today at 4PM ET. Cleveland was joined in progress at 7:12P in 17% of the country. Due to live sports, Fast Nationals for CBS and NBC are approximate on the night. CBS' 60 Minutes began at 7:36P with prime sliding.]

NBC (16.23 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 6.5, #1) overshadowed the competition with its coverage of "Sunday Night Football" (19.48 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 7.9, #1). Leading off the night then were pre-game specials "Football Night in America #1" (6.60 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 2.3, #8), "Football Night in America #2" (10.41 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 4.0, #4) and "Football Night in America #3" (15.42 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 6.0, #3).

A distant silver then went to CBS (12.13 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.2, #2) with its mix of "NFL Overrun" (20.94 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 6.9, #2), "60 Minutes" (13.71 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 3.6, #5), "The Amazing Race" (9.61 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.7, #T6), "The Good Wife" (9.88 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.2, #9) and "CSI: Miami" (9.71 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.0, #T10).

Next up was ABC (7.21 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.0, #3) and its lineup of "America's Funniest Home Videos" (6.63 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.4, #13), "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" (7.33 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 2.0, #T10), "Desperate Housewives" (8.46 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.7, #T6) and "Pan Am" (6.42 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.9, #12).

And finally, FOX (2.66 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.0, #4) switched to repeats of "The Cleveland Show" (1.48 million viewers, #17; adults 18-49: 0.6, #17), another "The Cleveland Show" (2.21 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T15), "The X Factor" (2.83 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T15) and another "The X Factor" (3.29 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.3, #14).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+8.22% - Sunday Night Football
+4.76% - The Good Wife
+2.86% - 60 Minutes
-4.76% - Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
-6.67% - America's Funniest Home Videos
-6.90% - Desperate Housewives
-10.00% - The Amazing Race
-13.04% - CSI: Miami
-24.00% - Pan Am

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+38.60% - Sunday Night Football
-5.26% - 60 Minutes
-6.67% - America's Funniest Home Videos
-13.04% - Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
-28.95% - The Amazing Race
-28.95% - Desperate Housewives
-32.14% - Pan Am (vs. Brothers & Sisters)
-37.14% - The Good Wife (vs. Undercover Boss)

Here are the highlights of the 18 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (10/10/10):

A full hour "NFL Overrun" (22.43 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 7.2, #1) nearly put CBS (15.28 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.6, #2) on top on Sunday. Leading out of said coverage were new episodes of "60 Minutes" (14.65 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.8, #T4), "The Amazing Race 17" (12.11 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 3.8, #T4) and "Undercover Boss" (11.93 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 3.5, #7).

Holding onto the adults 18-49 gold then was NBC (11.76 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 4.7, #1) with its mix of "Football Night in America #1" (5.34 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 1.8, #15), "Football Night in America #2" (6.51 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 2.4, #13), "Football Night in America #3" (12.24 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 4.8, #3) and "Sunday Night Football" (14.00 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 5.7, #2).

Next up was ABC (8.94 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.6, #3) with new episodes of "America's Funniest Home Videos" (6.35 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.5, #18), "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" (8.15 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.3, #14), "Desperate Housewives" (12.19 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 3.8, #T4) and "Brothers & Sisters" (9.04 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.8, #10).

And finally, repeats of "The Cleveland Show" (3.83 million viewers, #18; adults 18-49: 1.6, #17) and "The Simpsons" (3.93 million viewers, #17; adults 18-49: 1.7, #16) lead into new episodes of "The Simpsons" (6.72 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 3.0, #9), "The Cleveland Show" (5.59 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 2.6, #11), "Family Guy" (7.02 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 3.4, #8) and "American Dad" (5.38 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 2.5, #12) on FOX (5.41 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.5, #4).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49): 60 Minutes (81.00%), The Amazing Race 17 (15.20%), Brothers & Sisters (-6.70%), Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (-8.00%), Desperate Housewives (-11.60%), Undercover Boss (-12.50%), Family Guy (-12.80%), American Dad (-13.80%), The Cleveland Show (-16.10%), America's Funniest Home Videos (-16.70%), Sunday Night Football (-19.70%), The Simpsons (-26.80%).

Source: Nielsen Media Research