NBC TIES FOR #1 IN 18-49 FOR THE PRIMETIME WEEK OF MAY 20-26

NBC Ties Fox and ABC for the Week in Adults 18-49 and is the only Big 4 Net Up vs. the Same Week Last Year

The Monday and Tuesday Editions of 'The Voice' are #2 and #3 for the Week on ABC, CBS, NBC & Fox in 18-49, and the Monday 'Voice' is #1 in Women 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54, Plus Teens 12-17

NBC Wins Monday and Tuesday Nights in 18-49, as 'The Voice' Delivers the #1 Rating Each Night

Wednesday's 'Dateline' Matches its Season High in 18-49 and 'SVU' Grows 13 Percent Week to Week

Friday's 'Dateline' Hits a 12-Week Slot High in Total Viewers

NBC Sports' Red Wings-Blackhawks Stanley Cup Hockey Wins Saturday Among ABC, CBS, NBC & Fox in 18-49 and Other Key Demos

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - May 29, 2013 - NBC has tied for #1 among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in adults 18-49 for the primetime week of May 20-26, according to "live plus same day" viewing data from Nielsen Media Research. NBC was led by the Monday and Tuesday editions of "The Voice," which finished #2 and 3 among the week's primetime programs on the Big 4 networks in adults 18-49. For the week, NBC averaged a 1.4 rating, 5 share in adults 18-49 and 5.0 million viewers overall.

The Monday and Tuesday telecasts of "The Voice" ranked #2 and #3 for the week in adults 18-49, adults 18-34 and adults 25-54, in each case finishing behind only ABC's "Modern Family" season finale. The Monday edition was #1 for the week on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in women 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54, as well as teens 12-17.

Also delivering top-30 rankings last week in adults 18-49 were Tuesday's NBC News Special "Devastation in Oklahoma" (tied for #14), Monday's "Revolution" (tied for #18), Tuesday's "Grimm" and Wednesday's "Law & Order: SVU" and "Chicago Fire" (each tied for #23) and Wednesday's "Dateline NBC" (tied for #28).

NBC tied Fox and ABC for #1 among the Big 4 networks for the week, with each net averaging a 1.4 rating, 5 share in adults 18-49. It's the sixth week in a row NBC has finished within 0.3 of a rating point or less of the primetime lead among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in 18-49. NBC also tied for #1 last week among those networks in adults 18-34 and women 18-34.

NBC improved by 8 percent on its 1.3 rating for the same week last year while ABC, CBS and Fox were flat or down versus the year-ago week. NBC delivered bigger audiences than during the same week last year in every key ratings category - adults, men and women 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54, plus total viewers - with a gain of 9 percent in total viewers (5.0 million vs. 4.6 million for the same week last year).

Primetime averages for the week of May 20-26 in adults 18-49 are: Fox, 1.4/5; NBC, 1.4/5; ABC, 1.4/5; CBS, 1.2/4; and CW, 0.3/1. In overall total viewers, the weekly averages were: ABC, 6.5 million; CBS, 6.3 million; NBC, 5.0 million; Fox, 4.3 million; and CW, 0.8 million.

Averages for the 2012-13 Broadcast Year to date are: CBS, 2.9/8; Fox, 2.5/7; NBC, 2.3/7; ABC, 2.2/6; and CW, 0.7/2. In overall total viewers, the season averages are: CBS, 11.8 million; ABC, 7.8 million; Fox, 7.0 million; NBC, 6.9 million; and CW, 1.8 million.

NBC highlights for the week of May 20-26

Monday: NBC is #1 for the night among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in every key demographic -- adults, men and women 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54 - and "The Voice" (3.5 rating, 10 share in adults 18-49, 10.8 million viewers overall from 8-10:01 p.m. ET) is the #1 show of the night on those networks by a 35 percent margin in 18-49 (3.5 vs. 2.6 for "Dancing With the Stars"). "The Voice" won its time period among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in every key demographic -- adults, men and women 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54.

"Revolution" (1.9/5 in adults 18-49, 5.6 million viewers overall from 10:01-11 p.m. ET) equaled its 18-49 rating of the prior week and in total viewers was up by 2 percent (5.6 million vs. 5.5 million), while facing this week's "Hawaii Five-0" season finale on CBS and the "Motive" series premiere on ABC.

Note that "Revolution" is a highly time-shifted show, with the prior week's telecast growing by 56 percent when going from these next-day "live plus same day" ratings (1.88) to its "live plus three day" result (2.93), moving it ahead of rival dramas in the slot, "Hawaii Five-0," which grew by 33 percent (1.84 vs. 2.44), and "Castle," which grew by 30 percent (2.13 vs. 2.77).

Tuesday: NBC finished #1 Tuesday night in adults 18-49 with "The Voice" (3.2/9 in 18-49, 10.2 million viewers overall from 9-10:01 p.m. ET) ranking as the #1 program on a night that included ABC's two-hour finale of "Dancing With the Stars" and Fox's two-hour "So You Think You Can Dance." "The Voice" won the time period among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in every key demographic -- adults, men and women 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54 -- with margins in adults 18-49 of 33 percent versus ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" finale (3.2 vs. 2.4 from 9-10) and 60 percent versus the second hour of Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance" (3.2 vs. 2.0).

The season finale of "Grimm" (1.7/5 in 18-49, 5.0 million in total viewers from 10:01-11 p.m. ET) maintained its 18-49 rating of a week ago despite this week's special competition from the second hour of the "Dancing With the Stars" finale. Note that "Grimm" is one of the most time-shifted series on broadcast television, with the prior week's telecast growing by 60 percent when going from its "live plus same day" 18-49 rating (1.72) to its "live plus three day" result (2.75), meaning "Grimm's" margin of victory in the slot over ABC's #2 "Body of Proof" grew from 23 percent in L+SD (1.72 vs. 1.40) to 52 percent in L+3 (2.75 vs. 1.81).

The NBC News Special "Devastation in Oklahoma" (2.0/6 in 18-49, 8.2 million viewers overall from 8-9 p.m. ET) tied for #1 in the time period in adults 18-49 and was #1 outright in adults 25-54 and total viewers.

Wednesday: "Dateline NBC" (1.4/5 in 18-49, 6.2 million viewers overall at 8 p.m. ET) matched the show's top Wednesday 18-49 rating of the season, last achieved with the show's Wednesday season debut April 3. It's also a season high for a Wednesday "Dateline" in adults 25-54 (1.9 rating) and total viewers and the third time in a row the Wednesday "Dateline" has improved on its prior total-viewer result.

"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (1.7/5 in adults 18-49, 6.7 million viewers overall at 9 p.m. ET) grew week to week by 13 percent in 18-49 rating (to a 1.7 from a 1.5) and 3 percent in total viewers (6.7 million vs. 6.5 million), despite competition this week from the season finales of ABC's "Modern Family" and CBS's "Criminal Minds.

"Chicago Fire" (1.7/5 in adults 18-49, 6.2 million viewers overall at 10 p.m. ET) retained its full "SVU" lead-in despite facing the second hour of CBS's special two-hour "Criminal Minds" season finale, as well as ABC's "Nashville" season finale. "Chicago Fire" once again built from half-hour to half-hour in adults 18-49 (to a 1.8 rating from a 1.7) and total viewers (6.3 million vs. 6.0 million), despite the 10 p.m hour.

Thursday: With its first two telecasts, "Save Me" (0.7/3 in 18-49, 3.2 million viewers overall at 8 p.m. ET, 0.7/2 in 18-49, 2.9 million viewers overall at 8:30) maintained its full 18-49 rating from its first half-hour to its second.

"Hannibal" (1.0/3 in 18-49, 2.7 million viewers overall from 10:01-11 p.m. ET) grew versus the prior week by 10 percent in total viewers (2.7 million vs. 2.5 million).

Friday: An encore telecast of "Dateline NBC" (1.0/4 in 18-49, 5.5 million viewers overall from 8-10:01 p.m. ET) delivered the network's biggest overall audience in the two-hour time period in 12 weeks (since March 1). In the slot, "Dateline" ranked #2 among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in adults 18-49, adults 25-54 and total viewers.

Saturday: NBC Sports' coverage of the Detroit Red Wings-Chicago Blackhawks Stanley Cup Playoff matchup (1.1/4 in 18-49, 2.9 million viewers overall from 8-11 p.m. ET) ranked #1 in primetime among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in adults 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54 and all key adult-male demos. It's NBC's top-rated Saturday in 18-49 since an NFL Playoff game on January 5.

Sunday: The finale of "Smash" (0.5/2 in 18-49, 2.4 million viewers overall from 9-11 p.m. ET) generated the show's biggest overall audience since Tuesday, April 2 and matched the show's highest 18-49 rating since that same date.