TV Ratings: Sunday viewers favor NBC's NFL over FOX's MLB

Cowboys-Colts easily beats Phillies-Giants on Sunday

By Daniel Fienberg Monday, Oct 18, 2010 11:48 AM

Indianapolis Colts running back Joseph Addai

Credit: AP

Fast National ratings for Sunday, October 17, 2010.

A National League Championship Series game between the Phillies and Giants on FOX went head-to-head with the Colts and Redskins game on NBC's Sunday Night Football. Not surprisingly, it turned out that in the battle between mid-postseason baseball and regular season football, there was no competition at all.

Among adults 18-49, NBC averaged a 5.4 rating for the night, easily winning the key demographic. FOX was second with a 3.3 rating, though much of that came from early-evening NFL overrun, rather than baseball. CBS was a close third with a 3.0 rating, with ABC's 2.6 rating good for fourth.

Overall, NBC averaged an estimated 14.25 million viewers to go with an 8.8 rating/14 share. CBS was second with a 7.2/12 and 11.87 million viewers. FOX's 6.1/10 and 9.84 million viewers took third, beating ABC's 5.8/9 and 9.265 million viewers.

7 p.m. -- FOX's NFL overrun started the night in first with an estimated 13.84 million viewers and a 5.0 rating. CBS' "60 Minutes," boosted by NFL overrun in some parts of the country, averaged 12.92 million viewers. NBC's "Football Night in America" averaged 7.64 million viewers, ediging out the 7.07 million for "America's Funniest Home Videos."

8 p.m. -- The start of the Washington-Indianapolis showdown gave NBC 15.73 million viewers and a 5.8 demo rating, tops for the 8 p.m. hour. CBS' "The Amazing Race" was second with 11.25 million viewers and a 3.4 demo rating. FOX's postseason baseball coverage delivered 8.78 million viewers and a 2.7 demo rating for third. ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" was fourth with 8.59 million viewers.

9 p.m. -- NBC's football coverage improved to an estimated audience of 17.83 million and a 6.7 demo rating. ABC's "Desperate Housewives" grabbed second with 12.43 million viewers and a 3.8 demo rating. CBS' "Undercover Boss" was a close third with 12.16 million viewers and a 3.5 demo rating. FOX's baseball, meanwhile, was down to 6.91 million viewers and a 2.1 demo.

10 p.m. -- Football closed primetime in first for NBC with 15.81 million viewers and a 6.4 demo rating. CBS' "CSI: Miami" was second with 11.15 million viewers and a 2.8 demo. ABC was a close third with 8.96 million viewers and a 2.7 demo 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.

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.