TV Ratings: NFL Preseason Football Tops Network Shows

Strategic Insights -

NFL Preseason Football on ABC dominated last week's network television ratings, but the CBS network took the overall lead for the week with a 6.4 rating and a 12 percent share in the Nielsen television ratings. The NFL, however, was not the only big winner, as several other programs, including ABC's "20/20" and NBC's "Dateline," also performed well. With over 99.4 million television households in the United States, the Nielsen ratings provide valuable insights into viewer preferences and network performance.

Key Takeaways:

  • NFL Preseason Football on ABC was the top-rated program last week with a 6.4 rating and a 12 percent share in the Nielsen television ratings.
  • CBS led the networks for the week with a 6.4 rating and a 12 percent share.
  • NBC took second place with a 6 rating and an 11 percent share, followed by ABC with a 5.8 rating and an 11 percent share.
  • Fox had a 4.2 rating and an 8 percent share, while UPN and WB trailed with 2.3 and 2.2 ratings, respectively.
  • ABC's "20/20" took the second highest spot with a 9 rating and a 16 percent share.
  • NBC's "Dateline" shared the third spot with a 8.5 rating and a 15 percent share, outperforming "E.R." and "Everyone Loves Raymond" on CBS.
  • Back-to-back episodes of "Frasier" on NBC took the sixth and seventh spots, with the 9:00 p.m. episode having an 8.3 rating and a 14 percent share, and the 9:30 p.m. episode having an 8.2 rating and a 14 percent share.
  • NBC's "Friends" beat out "Frasier" in the eighth spot with an 8.1 rating and a 15 percent share.
  • A special episode of "The King of Queens" on CBS took the ninth spot with a 7.9 rating and a 13 percent share, sharing the tenth spot with NBC's "Law and Order."
  • Each ratings point represents 1 percent or 994,000 households in the United States.

Statistics:

  • 99.4 million television households in the United States
  • Each ratings point represents 1 percent or 994,000 households
  • ABC's "20/20" had a 9 rating and a 16 percent share
  • NBC's "Dateline" had a 8.5 rating and a 15 percent share
  • NBC's "Friends" had an 8.1 rating and a 15 percent share
  • A special episode of "The King of Queens" on CBS had a 7.9 rating and a 13 percent share
  • Each share represents the percentage of households using television that are tuned in to a particular show or network

Sources:

  • UPI (United Press International)
  • COMTEX (http://www.comtexnews.com)