TV Ratings: Olympics, 'Marriage Ref' strong for NBC Sunday

'Undercover Boss' improves week-to-week and battles the Olympics

Monday, Mar 1, 2010 11:37 AM

Daniel Fienberg

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TV Ratings: Olympics, 'Marriage Ref' strong for NBC Sunday

This Giant Inflatable Beaver helped steal the show at the Winter Olympics Closing Ceremonies

Credit: Jae C. Hong/AP

Fast National ratings for Sunday, February 28, 2010.

The final night of the Winter Olympics from Vancouver delivered strong ratings for NBC, while a half-hour previous of "The Marriage Ref" also had potentially encouraging returns for the network.

Meanwhile, after two weeks of slight declines, CBS got a big night out of "Undercover Boss," which seems to now be standing on its own as a breakout hit for the network.

Among adults 18-49, NBC averaged a 5.3 rating for the night, comfortably ahead of the 3.1 rating for CBS. ABC was third in the key demographic with a 2.6 rating, topping the 2.0 rating for FOX.

Overall, NBC averaged an estimated 19.77 million viewers for the night to go with an 11.3 rating/18 share. CBS was a distant second with a 6.8/11. ABC's 5.1/8 was still far ahead of the 2.6/4 for FOX.

NBC swept the Sunday primetime hours starting at 7 p.m. with a 10.2/17 for Olympics wrap-up and Closing Ceremony coverage. CBS' "60 Minutes" was second with a 6.7/11. Third went to ABC's "America's Funniest Home Videos," while FOX's two episodes of "Til Death" were fourth with a 1.7/3.

In the 8 p.m. hour, NBC's Olympics coverage improved to a 13.0/20 and a 6.0 demo rating. CBS' "The Amazing Race" had a 5.8/9, up from recent airings. ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" repeat topped the 3.0/5 for FOX's repeats of "The Simpsons" and "The Cleveland Show."

The Olympics were down to an 11.7/18 in the 9 p.m. hour. CBS' "Undercover Boss" had an 8.7/13 and, in its second half-hour, did a 5.6 demo rating, beating the 4.8 demo for the Olympics in that half-hour (NBC still won the full hour in the demo). ABC's "Desperate Housewives" did a 6.7/10 for third. FOX's repeats of "Family Guy" and "American Dad" were fourth.

NBC closed the night with the truncated end of the Olympics closing (11.3/18) and the half-hour tease of "The Marriage Ref" (8.7/15 and a 4.8 demo rating). CBS' "Cold Case" did a 6.1/10, beating the 5.3/9 for ABC's "Brothers & Sisters," though the ABC drama won 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.