nielsen ratings
(fast national numbers for sunday, july 21, 2013)

Here are the highlights of the 17 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks last night:

CBS (5.242 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T1) was the top draw on Sunday with its mix of "60 Minutes" (7.657 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T11), "Big Brother 15" (6.835 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 2.4, #1), "The Good Wife" (3.107 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.7, #13) and "The Mentalist" (3.371 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T14).

FOX (2.558 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.1, #T1) however shared the demo crown thanks to its lineup of "American Dad" (1.458 million viewers, #17; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T14), "The Simpsons" (2.112 million viewers, #16; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T9), another "The Simpsons" (3.242 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 1.4, #3), "Bob's Burgers" (2.744 million viewers, #14; adults 18-49: 1.3, #4), "Family Guy" (3.288 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 1.5, #2) and the premiere of "Axe Cop/High School USA!" (2.505 million viewers, #15; adults 18-49: 1.1, #5).

Next up was ABC (3.458 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.9, #3) with a repeat of "America's Funniest Home Videos" (4.945 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T6) followed by originals from "Celebrity Wife Swap" (3.045 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T6) and "Whodunnit?" (2.922 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T6) plus a repeat of "Castle" (2.921 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T14).

And finally, repeats of "America's Got Talent" (3.501 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 0.8, #T11) and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (4.060 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T9) alongside a new "Crossing Lines" (2.906 million viewers, #13; adults 18-49: 0.6, #T14) on NBC (3.492 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 0.8, #4) rounded out the evening.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+26.32% - Big Brother 15
+20.00% - Crossing Lines
-9.09% - Whodunnit?
-16.67% - Celebrity Wife Swap

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+26.32% - Big Brother 15
0.00% - Axe Cop/High School USA! (vs. Teen Choice 2012)
-25.00% - Crossing Lines (vs. America's Got Talent (Repeat))
-66.67% - Whodunnit? (vs. The Bachelorette)
-66.67% - Celebrity Wife Swap (vs. The Bachelorette)

Here are the highlights of the 12 ad-sustained programs that aired in primetime on the broadcast networks one year ago (7/22/12):

ABC (7.89 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 2.6, #1) was the network to beat on Sunday with the season finale of "The Bachelorette" (8.58 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 3.0, #2). Bookending the two-hour finale were a repeat of "America's Funniest Home Videos" (5.28 million viewers, #5; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T4) and the live special "The Bachelorette: After the Finale Rose" (9.12 million viewers, #1; adults 18-49: 3.2, #1).

CBS (5.18 million viewers, #2; adults 18-49: 1.2, #2) then had to settle for second place with its mix of "60 Minutes" (7.28 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T7), "Big Brother 14" (5.36 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.9, #3), "The Good Wife" (3.88 million viewers, #8; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T9) and "The Mentalist" (4.20 million viewers, #7; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T9).

Next up was FOX (2.74 million viewers, #4; adults 18-49: 1.0, #3) with repeats of "The Simpsons" (2.03 million viewers, #12; adults 18-49: 0.9, #T9) and "Family Guy" (2.58 million viewers, #11; adults 18-49: 1.2, #T4) followed by a modest showing for "Teen Choice 2012" (2.96 million viewers, #10; adults 18-49: 1.1, #6).

And finally, a two-hour "Dateline NBC" (4.22 million viewers, #6; adults 18-49: 1.0, #T7) and a rebroadcast of "America's Got Talent" (3.04 million viewers, #9; adults 18-49: 0.8, #12) on NBC (3.63 million viewers, #3; adults 18-49: 0.9, #4) rounded out the night.

Week-to-week changes (adults 18-49):
+36.36% - The Bachelorette (vs. 7/16/12)
+25.00% - Dateline NBC
-13.64% - Big Brother 14

Year-to-year changes (adults 18-49):
+300.00% - The Bachelorette: After the Finale Rose (vs. Body of Proof (Repeat))
+252.94% - The Bachelorette (vs. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (Repeat)/Castle (Repeat))
-4.76% - Dateline NBC (vs. Dateline NBC/America's Got Talent (Repeat))
-20.83% - Big Brother 14
-33.33% - Teen Choice 2012 (vs. The Simpsons (Repeat)/The Cleveland Show (Repeat)/Family Guy (Repeat)/American Dad (Repeat))

Source: Nielsen Media Research