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.

Daniel Fienberg
Executive Editor

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A long-time member of the TCA Board and a longer-time blogger of "American Idol," Dan Fienberg writes about TV, except for when he writes about movies or sometimes writes about the Red Sox. But never music. He would sound stupid talking about music.