TV Ratings: NFL action elevates both NBC and CBS on Sunday

 Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts

Credit: AP

 Fast National ratings for Sunday, October 11, 2009.

Thanks to an overtime thriller between Denver and New England, CBS got an early evening ratings boost, while NBC carried the later evening thanks to a dud of a game between Indianapolis and Tennessee. 

Among adults 18-49, NBC came out on top with a 4.5 rating, beating CBS' 3.6 rating in the key demographic. ABC's 3.2 rating and the 3.0 rating for FOX were close behind. [Note: We'll no longer be including CW ratings on Sunday because The CW is no longer programming Sundays. That makes sense, right?]

Overall, though, CBS averaged an estimated 12.55 million viewers to go with a 7.6 rating/12 share. NBC was a close second, with ABC's 6.1/10 also in the hunt. FOX's 3.7/6 was fourth.

CBS started the night in first with more than 35 minutes of NFL overrun and the start of "60 Minutes" delivering a 12.4/21 and a 6.6 demo rating. ABC's "America's Funniest Home Videos" was second, well back, with a 4.8/8. NBC's "Football Night in America" was third with a 4.0/7, beating repeats of "The Cleveland Show" and "American Dad" on FOX.

In the 8 p.m. hour, CBS stayed in first with the end of "60 Minutes" and the start of "The Amazing Race," which averaged an 8.0/13 between them. The start of NBC's game between the Colts and Titans had a 7.8/12 and won the 18-49 demo with a 4.9 rating. ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" was a solid third overall, but fourth in the demo. FOX's "The Simpsons" and "The Cleveland Show" were fourth overall with a 4.4/7, but second behind NBC in the key demo.

NBC's NFL coverage took over first at 9 p.m. with a 9.5/14 and a 5.9 rating in the demo. ABC's "Desperate Housewives" was second with an 8.0/12. CBS' "The Amazing Race" and "Three Rivers" averaged a 5.4/8, with a notable plunge in the end of the hour when the freshman medical drama took over. FOX's "Family Guy" and "American Dad" was fourth overall, but a strong third in the demo.

Although the game was a rout, NBC remained in first at 10 p.m. ABC's "Brothers & Sisters" was second with a 5.9/10. That left CBS in third with a 4.7/8 for the end of "Three Rivers" and the start of "Cold Case."