CBS moved up its Kennedy Center Honors this holiday season, which may have helped the special avoid falling to a new all-time low in TV ratings. It wasn’t enough to separate CBS from ABC’s “The Sound of Music” replay, but at least it didn’t do anywhere near as poorly as The CW’s “Christmas Caroler Challenge.”
As per usual on Sundays, the NFL ruled primetime. NBC finished first and Fox, which had the afternoon’s football overrun, was second. Due to the nature of live sports, the below fast-affiliate Nielsen numbers for NBC and Fox should be considered subject to significant adjustment.
NBC was first in ratings with a 3.6 rating/17 share in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic and in total viewers with an average of 13.5 million, according to preliminary numbers. Those were the averages of NBC Sports’ 90-minute pregame show, “Football Night in America,” and the Pittsburgh Steelers-Buffalo Bills game itself.
Fox was second in ratings with a 2.0/9 and third in viewers with 6.50 million. Following an overrun of the Los Angeles Rams vs. Dallas Cowboys game, “The Simpsons” at 8 p.m. landed a 1.8/8 and 5 million viewers. “Bless the Harts” at 8:30 had a 1.0/4 and 2.8 million viewers. “Bob’s Burgers” at 9 got a 0.9/4 and 2.4 million viewers. At 9:30, “Family Guy” received a 0.9/4 and 2.4 million viewers.
CBS and ABC tied for third in ratings, both with a 0.6/3. CBS was second in total viewers with 6.52 million. ABC was fourth with 4 million, airing just the 1965 musical movie.
For CBS, “60 Minutes” at 7 had a 0.8/4 and 8.3 million viewers. The Kennedy Center Honors from 8-10 averaged a 0.6/3 and 7 million viewers. A repeat of “NCIS: Los Angeles” followed.
Univision was fifth in ratings with a 0.3/1 and in viewers with 1 million.
Telemundo was sixth in ratings with a 0.2/1 and seventh in viewers with 500,000
The CW was seventh in ratings with a 0.1/1 and in viewers with 509,000. The premiere hour of “Christmas Caroler Challenge” (pictured above) at 9 averaged a 0.1/1 and 577,000 viewers. The second hour at 10 managed a 0.1/0 and 440,000 viewers.