NBC is #1 season to date in 18-49 through five weeks for the first time in 10 years.

NBC is up 24% versus last season (to a 3.1 rating from a 2.5) and has moved from #4 at this point last year to #1 this year.

NBC's 3.1 is its highest week-five season average in five years (since 2007).

NBC is matching the biggest lead for any network at this point in the season in the last 10 years (0.4 of a point, 3.1 vs. 2.7 for CBS, biggest since NBC's 0.7 margin in 2002).

In Week 5, NBC is up 39 percent versus Week 5 last year (with a 2.5 rating vs. a 1.8). The other Big 4 networks are all down versus the same week last year.

In Week 5, NBC finished #2 behind only Fox, which benefitted from five night of baseball (four World Series nights and the deciding game of the National League Championship Series). NBC finished solidly ahead of ABC and CBS despite a debate preemption of two-thirds of the Monday schedule, NBC's top night of entertainment programming

In 18-49 so far this season, NBC's schedule includes:

* The #1 primetime series on the broadcast networks, Sunday Night Football.

* 4 of primetime's top 6 programs on the broadcast nets (#1 "SNF," #4 "The Voice" Monday, #5 "Revolution," #6 "The Voice" Tuesday).

* The #1 unscripted series, The Voice.

* The #1 new drama, Revolution (and #1 drama overall on the broadcast nets).

* The #1 new comedy, Go On (and #2 new series).

* The #1 Friday series, Grimm.

Rankings exclude sports pre- and post-game shows.

In addition to being up by 24 percent so far this season in 18-49 (3.1 vs. 2.5), NBC is up 16 percent in total viewers (8.4 million vs. 7.2 million). NBC is the only network among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox that's up versus last year's five-week averages in either category.

Here are "live plus same day" weekly averages for Week 5...

Week 5 Adults 18-49 vs. Same Week Last Year
Net...Week 5 2011... Week 5 2012...Diff
NBC...1.8...2.5...Up 39%
CBS...2.6...2.1...Down 19%
ABC...2.4...2.2...Down 8%
Fox...3.6...3.3...Down 8%

Here are "most current" season averages thru five weeks...

Adults 18-49 vs. First Five Weeks of the Season Last Year
Net...Five Weeks 2011... Five Weeks 2012...Diff
NBC...2.5...3.1...Up 24%
CBS...3.3...2.7...Down 18%
ABC...2.7...2.5...Down 7%
Fox...3.4...2.6...Down 24%

Total Viewers vs. First Four Weeks of the Season Last Year
Net...Four Weeks 2011... Four Weeks 2012...Diff
NBC...7.235 million ...8.404 million...Up 16%
CBS...12.738 million...11.468 million...Down 10%
ABC...9.605 million ...8.832 million...Down 8%
Fox...9.640 million ...7.657 million...Down 21%

Median Age

NBC is the only network among ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and CW whose audience has gotten younger this season versus last:

Network...'11-12...'12-13
NBC...48.9...47.5
CBS...55.0...57.1
ABC...53.3...54.1
Fox...46.3...47.9
CW...36.6...41.1

Time-Shifting

"Revolution" is delivering the 2nd biggest L+7 gains of any primetime series on the Big 4 in 18-49 rating (+2.02, to a 5.46in L+7 from a 3.44 in L+SD), behind only "Modern Family" (+2.14).

"Grimm" is delivering the biggest percentage gains in 18-49 (+73%, to a 2.84 from a 1.64) and total viewers (+53%, 7.7 million vs. 5.1 million) going from L+SD to L+7.