nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for monday, december 31, 2012)

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

ABC (10.66 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.1, #1) was the network to beat on the final night of 2012 with its mix of "New Year's Rockin' Eve Celebrates Dick Clark" (9.35 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.6, #2) and "Dick Clark's Primetime New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest" (13.26 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.1, #1).

A distant silver then went to NBC (3.31 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.9, #2) with a rebroadcast of "Enchanted" (3.09 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 0.7, #9) plus "NBC's New Year's Eve with Carson Daly 2012" (3.76 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.1, #3).

Next up was CBS (4.03 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.8, #3) and its all-repeat lineup of "How I Met Your Mother" (3.55 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T4), "How I Met Your Mother" (3.11 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T6), "2 Broke Girls" (4.08 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T4), "Mike & Molly" (4.18 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T6) and "Hawaii Five-0" (4.63 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T6).

Meanwhile, FOX (2.95 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T4) offered up a repeat of "Bones" (3.55 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.6, #10) and a new "The Mob Doctor" (2.35 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 0.4, #12).

And finally, an encore of the "iHeartRadio Music Festival" (1.32 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.5, #11) on The CW (1.32 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.5, #T4) closed out the evening. In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), the "iHeartRadio Music Festival" delivered a 0.5 rating.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
-50.00% - The Mob Doctor (vs. 12/3/12)

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+70.83% - Dick Clark's Primetime New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest (vs. Celebrity Wife Swap)
+8.33% - New Year's Rockin' Eve Celebrates Dick Clark (vs. The Bachelor)
-8.33% - NBC's New Year's Eve with Carson Daly 2012 (vs. Rock Center With Brian Williams)
-66.67% - The Mob Doctor (vs. House (Repeat))

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

* From 11:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m., "NBC's New Year's Eve with Carson Daly" (4.9 rating, 11 share in metered-market households) is up 14 percent versus last year's 4.3/10 to deliver a three-year high. It's the annual telecast's highest metered-market rating since a 5.2 on December 31, 2009. Other late-night averages last night included: Fox's "New Year's Eve Live," 2.8/6 in metered-market households from 11 p.m.-12:30 a.m.; and "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2013" on ABC, 10.6/25 from 11:30 p.m.-1:15 a.m.

* In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "NBC's New Year's Eve with Carson Daly" (2.8 rating, 10 share in adults 18-49) is up 8 percent versus last year's 2.6/9 to match its highest rating in the Local People Meters in three years. Other results were a 2.0/7 for Fox's "New Year's Eve Live" and 7.7/29 for ABC's "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2013."

* National results for the December 31 late-night programs, including viewer numbers, are due from Nielsen Media Research on Thursday, Jan. 10.

Here are the highlights of the 14 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (1/2/12):

CBS (11.91 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.7, #1) took home top honors on the first Monday of 2012 thanks to new episodes of "How I Met Your Mother" (10.22 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 3.9, #3), "2 Broke Girls" (12.05 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 4.3, #2), "Two and a Half Men" (13.79 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 4.4, #1), "Mike & Molly" (11.93 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 3.8, #4) and "Hawaii Five-0" (11.73 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 2.9, #5).

A silver medal then went to ABC (7.25 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.4, #2) with the return of "The Bachelor" (7.74 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 2.4, #T6) followed by the debut of "Celebrity Wife Swap" (6.27 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 2.4, #T6).

Next up was NBC (5.11 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.7, #3) with its lineup of "Who's Still Standing?" (5.57 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 1.5, #9), "Fear Factor" (5.90 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 2.4, #T6) and "Rock Center With Brian Williams" (3.85 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T10).

Meanwhile, FOX (3.76 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.2, #4) offered up repeats of "House" (3.68 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T10) and another "House" (3.83 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T10).

And finally, The CW (0.89 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.3, #5) closed out the evening with repeats of "The Secret Circle" (0.99 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T13) and another "The Secret Circle" (0.79 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 0.3, #T13). In the netlet's target demo (women 18-34), "Circle" posted a 0.4 rating at 8:00/7:00c and a 0.3 rating at 9:00/8:00c.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+33.33% - Rock Center With Brian Williams
+4.88% - 2 Broke Girls (vs. 12/12/11)
+3.57% - Hawaii Five-0 (vs. 12/12/11)
0.00% - Fear Factor (vs. 12/19/11)
-2.56% - Mike & Molly (vs. 12/12/11)
-4.35% - Two and a Half Men (vs. 12/12/11)
-11.76% - Who's Still Standing?
-13.33% - How I Met Your Mother (vs. 12/5/11)

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+140.00% - Fear Factor (vs. The Biggest Loser: Where Are They Now? (Repeat))
+114.29% - Who's Still Standing? (vs. Chuck (Repeat))
+26.47% - 2 Broke Girls (vs. Rules of Engagement)
+20.00% - Rock Center With Brian Williams (vs. The Biggest Loser: Where Are They Now? (Repeat))
+2.70% - Mike & Molly
0.00% - Hawaii Five-0
0.00% - How I Met Your Mother
0.00% - Celebrity Wife Swap (vs. Castle)
-4.35% - Two and a Half Men
-17.24% - The Bachelor

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," 2.1/5 with an encore telecast; CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman," 2.1/5 with an encore; and ABC's combo of "Nightline," 2.8/6; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 1.2/4 with an encore.

In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, adult 18-49 results were: "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," 0.7/3 with an encore; "Late Show," 0.6/3 with an encore; "Nightline," 0.9/3; and "Jimmy Kimmel Live," 0.4/2 with an encore.

At 12:35 a.m., "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (1.1/4 in metered-market households with an encore) tied CBS's first-run "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (1.1/4). In the 25 markets with Local People Meters, "Late Night" (0.4/2 in 18-49 with an encore) tied "Late Late Show" (0.4/2).

At 1:35 a.m., "Last Call with Carson Daly" averaged a 0.7/3 in metered-market households with an encore and a 0.3/2 in adults 18-49 in the 25 markets with local people meters.

Source: Nielsen Media Research