nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for sunday, october 21, 2012)

Here are the highlights of the 13 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night:

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Due to the nature of live sports, Fast Nationals for CBS, FOX and NBC are approximate.]

"Sunday Night Football" (15.58 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 6.0, #2) continued its demo reign last night as NBC (13.88 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 5.3, #1) lead the night in the key demo. Opening the evening were its weekly pre-game specials "Football Night in America #1" (5.09 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.5, #12), "Football Night in America #2" (6.79 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 2.4, #7) and "Football Night in America #3" (12.44 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 4.6, #3).

CBS (14.49 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.8, #2) then was the most-watched network thanks to a full hour of "NFL Overrun" (23.77 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 7.6, #1) followed by its late starting mix of "60 Minutes" (14.82 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.5, #4), "The Amazing Race 21" (9.39 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.3, #8) and "The Good Wife" (9.97 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.9, #9).

Next up was ABC (7.30 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 2.3, #3) with new episodes of "America's Funniest Home Videos" (5.93 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.3, #13), "Once Upon a Time" (9.71 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 3.3, #5), "Revenge" (8.65 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.8, #6) and "666 Park Avenue" (4.93 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 1.8, #10).

And finally, coverage of the "NLCS, Game 6" (5.56 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.6, #11) on FOX (5.56 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.6, #4) rounded out the night.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+34.62% - 60 Minutes
+20.00% - 666 Park Avenue
+11.76% - The Good Wife
+10.00% - Once Upon a Time
+3.70% - Revenge
-7.14% - America's Funniest Home Videos
-11.54% - The Amazing Race 21
-13.04% - Sunday Night Football

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+30.43% - Sunday Night Football
+29.63% - 60 Minutes (vs. The Amazing Race)
+15.00% - The Amazing Race 21 (vs. The Good Wife)
0.00% - 666 Park Avenue (vs. Pan Am)
-6.67% - Revenge (vs. Desperate Housewives)
-9.52% - The Good Wife (vs. CSI: Miami)
-13.33% - America's Funniest Home Videos
-15.38% - Once Upon a Time

Here are the highlights of the 15 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (10/23/11):

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Due to the nature of live sports, Fast Nationals for FOX and NBC are unreliable and should not be used. NFL Overrun ran until 7:26p. The OT aired from 7:26-7:45p. World Series Pre-Game aired from 7:45-8:02p. World Series Game 4 aired from 8:02-11:14p.]

FOX (14.62 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.4, #1) was the network to beat on Sunday with its all-sports mix of "NFL Overrun" (21.84 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 7.4, #1), "The OT" (13.44 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 4.3, #3) and "World Series, Game 4" (13.61 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 4.0, #4).

NBC (9.57 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.8, #2) then claimed a silver with its coverage of "Sunday Night Football" (11.24 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 4.6, #2). Leading off its lineup were pre-game specials "Football Night in America #1" (4.26 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T14), "Football Night in America #2" (6.38 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 2.5, #T9) and "Football Night in America #3" (9.70 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 3.7, #6).

Next up was ABC (8.60 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.6, #3) with a new "America's Funniest Home Videos" (6.61 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.5, #T14) followed by the premiere of "Once Upon a Time" (12.79 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 3.9, #5) and fresh installments of "Desperate Housewives" (9.22 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 3.0, #7)and "Pan Am" (5.77 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.8, #13).

And finally, new episodes of "60 Minutes" (12.65 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 2.5, #T9), "The Amazing Race" (9.91 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.7, #8), "The Good Wife" (9.61 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 2.0, #12), "CSI: Miami" (9.80 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.1, #11) on CBS (10.49 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.3, #4) rounded out the evening.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+31.58% - 60 Minutes
+11.11% - Desperate Housewives
+8.00% - The Amazing Race
0.00% - America's Funniest Home Videos
0.00% - Pan Am
-4.76% - The Good Wife
-12.50% - CSI: Miami
-19.30% - Sunday Night Football

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+62.50% - Once Upon a Time (vs. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition)
-12.50% - CSI: Miami
-16.67% - America's Funniest Home Videos
-18.18% - The Amazing Race
-23.08% - Desperate Housewives
-24.24% - 60 Minutes
-30.77% - Pan Am (vs. Brothers & Sisters)
-39.39% - The Good Wife (vs. Undercover Boss)
-46.51% - Sunday Night Football

Source: Nielsen Media Research