TV Ratings: NBC's 'Sunday Night Football' rushes past 'Desperate Housewives' premiere

Peyton Manning and the Colts handily beat not just the Arizona Cardinals, but the ladies of Wisteria Lane on "Desperate Housewives."

Credit: AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin

The game may have been a blowout, but NBC's Sunday Night Football had plenty in the tank to beat the season premiere of ABC's "Desperate Housewives." The night also featured the returns of CBS' "The Amazing Race" and "Cold Case" as well as ABC's "Brothers & Sisters." Fox may have received the best news of all, however, with its strong debut of "The Cleveland Show."

Among adults 18-49, NBC averaged a 4.9 rating dominating all their competitors. ABC averaged a 3.2 rating, FOX was second with a 3.7 rating, CBS sneaked by ABC for a 3.3, the alphabet nabbed a 3.2 and the CW barely registered with a .5.

Overall, NBC averaged an estimated 12.7 million viewers in primetime to go with a 8 rating/13. CBS followed with an 7.3/12 and 11.7 million viewers. ABC was in the middle of the pack with 6.4/11 and 10 million viewers. That left FOX in a distant third with a 4.2/7 and 7.4 million viewers beating up on The CW's lifeless 0.9/2 and half a million viewers.

In the 7 p.m. hour, CBS' NFL run over and "60 minutes" took the pole with a 10.3/18 and 16 million viewers and a 4.1 demo rating.  ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition's" first hour premiered to a 4.5/8, 7.2 million viewers and a 2.1 demo, but was beaten by NBC's "Football Night in America" pre-game show which had a 5.2/9, 8.6 million viewers and 3.3 demo.  

Things didn't get much better for "Makeover" in the 8 PM hour as "Sunday Night Football" averaged an 8.2/13, 13.3 million viewers and a 5.1 in the key demo in its first hour as did the season premiere of CBS' "The Amazing Race" which found a 7.1/11, 11.6 million viewers and a 3.3 in the demo.  "Makeover" finished with a 6.4/10, 10.4 million viewers and 3.1 in the key demo for its second hour.  The premiere of the Seth Rogen scripted "Simpsons" did a 4.5/7 and 8.2 million viewers, but came in second in its half hour in the key demo with a 4.2.  Another toon, "The Cleveland Show," debuted to even better numbers with a 5.3/8, 9.4 million viewers and 5.9 demo no doubt making Fox executives relieved considering a second season has already been ordered.

"Desperate Housewives" had a solid premiere in the 9 PM hour with a 8.4/13, 13.2 million viewers and 4.4 demo.  The second hour of "Amazing Race" did a 5.8/9, 9.9 million viewers and a 3.3 in the key demo.  NBC's "SNF" still won the hour with a 9.7/15, 15.4 million viewers and a 5.7 demo. Fox wasn't too shabby though.  "The Family Guy" pulled in a 5.7/9 and 10 million viewers and a 5.2 in the key demo (second best behind "SNF" all night).  "American Dad" dropped to 4.1/6, 7.1 million viewers and a 3.6 demo.

In the 10 PM hour "SNF" once again dominated with a 8.7/15, 13 million viewers and a 5.5 demo, but the premiere of ABC's "Brothers & Sisters" found 6.3/11, 9.3 million viewers and a 3.0 in the key demo.  That barely edged out CBS' premiere of "Cold Case" which had 9 million viewers, but a 5.9/10 and 2.2 in the key demo.
 
All ratings information comes from preliminary Fast National Nielsen data, which includes live and same-day DVR viewing. All numbers are subject to change.