CBS won the household-ratings race Sunday night, while Fox won the key adult-demographic contests, according to the Nielsen Media
Research fast affiliate report.
However, CBS warned that football overruns
could change the numbers when Nielsen puts out its final ratings for the night later
Monday.
Fox won the key adult-demographic contests, including adults 18 through 49,
25 through 54 and 18 through 34. Fox aired the Jurassic Park sequel
Lost World throughout its prime time (7 p.m. to 10 p.m.).
CBS had football overruns affecting several parts of the country through
8:21 p.m. After football, the lineup included 60 Minutes, Becker
and made-for-TV movie Message in a Bottle.
The preliminary ratings showed that CBS won the first hour of prime time (7 p.m. to 8
p.m.) across the key categories with some stations airing 60 minutes and
others airing football.
But by 8 p.m., many adult viewers had switched to the Fox movie and Fox won
the 18-through-49 and 25-through-54 viewers in both the 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. and 9 p.m. to 10
p.m. hours. It also won adults 18 through 34 from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m., while ABC won the
demo from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. with the film Notting Hill. Notting also
won adults 18 through 34 and 18 through 49 from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m., while NBC's
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit won households and adults 25
through 54 in the hour.
For the night, the household numbers: CBS 7.2/12, NBC 7.0/11, Fox 5.8/9 and
ABC 5.4/9.
Adults 18 through 49: Fox 3.7/10, CBS 3.1/8, ABC 3.0/8 and NBC 2.9/7.
Adults 25 through 54: Fox 4.0/9, CBS 3.6/8, NBC 3.5/8 and ABC 3.2/7.
Fox and CBS battled it out Saturday night, tying for first in households
while Fox won the key demos. From 8 p.m. to 9 p.m, CBS' Big Brother won
households, total viewers and adults 18 through 49. Big Brother tied
Fox's Cops in the time period among adults 18 through 34 and 25 through
54.
At 9 p.m., Fox's America's Most Wanted won all of the key ratings
categories.
At 10 p.m., The Agency on CBS won the three-network household race,
while ABC's coverage of college football won the key adult demos.
For the night, the household numbers: CBS and Fox 5.1/10; ABC 4.5/8; NBC
3.3/8.
Adults 18 through 49: Fox 2.8/10, ABC 2.3/8, CBS 2.2/7 and NBC 1.7/5.
On Friday, NBC won households but Fox won adults 18 through 49 and 18 through
34. The competition was closest among the 25-through-54 demo, where ABC edged
out Fox and NBC by one-tenth and two-tenths of a rating point, respectively.
NBC won the household race with Providence, Dateline and Law
& Order: Special Victims Unit. Fox won adults 18 through 49 and 18 through 34
with the film Deuce Bigalow.
At 10 p.m., 20/20 Friday had its season premiere and it was second in
households and adults 18 through 49 and 25 through 54 behind Law &
Order. 20/20 was up 15 percent in households compared with the season
premiere last year of Once & Again in the time period, but down 23
percent among adults 18 through 49 and down 12 percent among adults 25 through
54. (Once & Again debuted Sept. 28, 2001).
For the night, the household numbers: NBC 5.1/10, ABC 4.7/9, CBS 4.1/8 and
Fox 4.0/8.
Adults 18 through 49: Fox 2.9/11, ABC 2.3/8, NBC 1.9/7 and CBS 1.5/5.
