TV Ratings: FOX's NFL coverage crushes Sunday competition

 Garrett Hartley of the New Orleans Saints

Credit: David J. Phillip/AP

Fast National ratings for Sunday, January 24, 2010.

FOX's coverage of the NFC Championship thriller between the Vikings and Saints crushed everything in its path on Sunday.

Among adults 18-49, FOX averaged a 19.0 rating. Second place in the key demographic went to ABC with a 1.9 rating. That's a pretty big margin, right? CBS was third with a 1.3 rating, with NBC's 0.6 rating trailing.

Overall, FOX averaged an estimated 52.21 million viewers to go with a 27.6 rating/41 share. CBS took something resembling second with a 4.3/6, nipping the 4.0/6 for ABC. NBC did a 2.6/4 to trail.

In the 7 p.m. hour, FOX's coverage of the Minnesota-New Orleans showdown did a 28.3/41 and averaged a 19.4 demo rating. CBS' "60 Minutes" was second with a 4.6/7. ABC's "America's Funniest Home Videos" had a 3.6/5, beating NBC's "Dateline" for the hour.

FOX's football had a 26.1/38 in the 8 p.m. hour, adding an 18.0 demo rating. ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" was second with a 4.5/7. CBS' "CSI: NY" repeat was third, beating the 3.2/5 for NBC's "Dateline."

The Vikings and Saints had a 28.4/40 for FOX in the 9 p.m. hour, rising to a 19.7 demo rating. ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" was up to a 5.3/8 in second, topping a repeat of "Cold Case" on CBS. NBC's figure skating coverage did a 2.2/3, ineffective counter-programming against the football.

With FOX dropping off the grid at 10 p.m., CBS' "CSI: Miami" sort of won the hour with a 4.8/8 and a 1.7 demo rating. ABC's repeat of "Desperate Housewives" was second with a 2.8/4. NBC's figure skating coverage trailed.

All ratings information comes from preliminary Fast National Nielsen data, which includes live and same-day DVR viewing. All numbers are subject to change, particularly in the case of live events.