nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for friday, june 15, 2012)

Here are the highlights of the 12 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night:

ABC (8.66 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.1, #1) got a big boost on Friday - its most-watched in fact since November 2007 - thanks to its specials "Countdown to Niagara: The Greatest Megastunts of All Time" (5.66 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.3, #2) and "Megastunts: Highwire Over Niagara Falls - Live!" (10.14 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.5, #1).

NBC (3.81 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.0, #2) then took home a distant second place with repeats of "Whitney" (2.23 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T6) and "Community" (1.65 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.5, #10) plus a two-hour "Dateline NBC" (4.75 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.2, #3).

Next up was CBS (4.59 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.7, #3) and its all-repeat lineup of "Undercover Boss" (4.68 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.9, #4), "CSI: NY" (4.33 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.7, #5) and "Blue Bloods" (4.77 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T6).

Meanwhile, FOX (2.14 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.6, #4) offered up second runs of "House" (2.01 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T6) and "Bones" (2.28 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T6).

And finally, repeats of "Nikita" (1.18 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T11) and "Supernatural" (1.04 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T11) on The CW (1.11 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.3, #5) closed out the evening.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+6.82% - Dateline NBC

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+194.12% - Megastunts: Highwire Over Niagara Falls - Live! (vs. Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution/20/20)
+18.18% - Countdown to Niagara: The Greatest Megastunts of All Time (vs. Shark Tank (Repeat))
-21.67% - Dateline NBC

In late-night metered market ratings (via NBC's press release):

In Nielsen's 56 metered markets, household results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 2.9/7; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.0/5 with an encore; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 3.6/8; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.7/5 with an encore.

In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 0.9/4; "Late Show," 0.5/2 with an encore; "Nightline," 1.2/5; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.7/4 with an encore.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.5/5 in metered-market households) beat CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.1/3). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.5/3 in 18-49) topped "Late Late Show" (0.4/2).

At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 1.0/4 in metered-market households with an encore and a 0.4/3 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

[NOTE: Today's numbers are courtesy of TVMediaInsights.com due to delays from our usual sources.]

Here are the highlights of the 12 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (6/17/11):

A two-hour "Dateline NBC" (6.31 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.5, #1) powered NBC (5.19 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.3, #1) to the demo crown on Friday. Kicking off the night was a new "Friday Night Lights" (2.97 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T6).

CBS (6.36 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T3) then was the most-watched network with a new "Flashpoint" (5.74 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T6) followed by repeats of "CSI: NY" (6.05 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T6) and "Blue Bloods" (7.29 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T3).

Next up was ABC (3.21 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.9, #2) with a repeat of "Shark Tank" (3.92 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.1, #2) alongside new episodes of "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution" (2.50 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T6) and "20/20" (3.21 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T3).

Meanwhile, FOX (2.79 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T3) offered up encores of "Bones" (3.27 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T3) and "House" (2.31 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.7, #10).

And finally, The CW (0.91 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.3, #5) did the same with "Smallville" (0.97 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.3, #12) and "Supernatural" (0.85 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.4, #11).

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49): Dateline NBC (25.00% vs. 6/3/11), Friday Night Lights (0.00% vs. 6/3/11), Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution (0.00%), Flashpoint (-20.00%), 20/20 (-25.00%).

In late-night metered market ratings (via NBC's press release):

Currently not available.

Source: Nielsen Media Research