TV Ratings: NBC's Seahawks-Rams game claims Sunday crown

Viewers also return for 'Desperate Housewives,' 'Undercover Boss'

By Daniel Fienberg Monday, Jan 3, 2011 11:59 AM

Seattle QB Charlie Whitehurst takes a snap

Credit: AP

Fast National ratings for Sunday, January 2, 2011.

NBC's Sunday Night Football regular season wrapped up with a Rams-Seahawks showdown with playoff implications and gave the network an easy nightly win as the competition began to come out of its holiday hibernation.

For the night, NBC averaged a 5.1 rating among adults 18-49, winning the night in the key demographic. FOX was second with a 3.4 rating, beating ABC's 2.7 rating and the 2.4 rating for CBS.

Overall, NBC averaged an estimated 14.28 million viewers and an 8.4 rating/13 share. CBS moved up to second for the night with a 6.8/11 and 11.275 million viewers, beating the 5.7/9 and 9.41 million viewers for ABC. FOX was fourth with a 4.9/8 and 8.58 million viewers.

7 p.m. - NFL overrun helped FOX start the night in first with an estimated 14.4 million viewers and a 5.2 rating among adults 18-49. CBS' "60 Minutes" was second overall with 13.57 million viewers. NBC's "Football Night in America" was third overall with 9.73 million viewers and second in the demo. ABC's "America's Funniest Home Videos" drew 8.21 million viewers for fourth.

8 p.m. - NBC grabbed first in the 8 p.m. hour with 16.265 million viewers and a 5.8 demo rating for the start of the game between Seattle and St. Louis. CBS was second overall with the 11.14 million viewers for "CSI: Miami," which finished fourth in the key demo. ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" was third overall with 9.345 million viewers and finished a distant second in the demo. FOX was fourth overall with 5.62 million viewers for repeats of "The Simpsons" and "The Cleveland Show."

9 p.m. - The Rams and Seahawks kept NBC in first for the 9 p.m. hour with 15.64 million viewers and a 5.6 demo rating, well below what other recent Sunday Night Football games have been doing. ABC's "Desperate Housewives" returned with a new episode and drew 12.1 million viewers and a 3.8 demo rating. CBS' new "Undercover Boss" was third with 11.79 million viewers and a 2.9 demo rating. FOX was fourth with 5.73 million viewers for two "Family Guy" repeats.

10 p.m. - Sunday Night Football closed primetime in first for NBC with 15.49 million viewers and a 5.7 demo rating. CBS' repeat of "CSI: Miami" averaged 8.6 million viewers for second overall. ABC's new "Brothers & Sisters" was third overall with 7.97 million viewers, finishing second in the key demo with a 2.4 rating.

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.

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Daniel Fienberg
Executive Editor

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.