Fox
won its eighth straight season in the 18-49 demo, winning the 2011-12
campaign with an overall 3.2 rating/9 share, according to preliminary
numbers from Nielsen. The network also won the May sweep for the eighth
consecutive year, earning a 2.4/7. In total viewers, Fox finished second
for the season (8.9 million) and third in the sweep (7.4 million).
CBS
won its ninth season in total viewers in the last 10 years, with 11.7
million viewers; the network was also first in the May sweep with 9.5
million. In the demo, CBS finished second for the season with a 3.0/8
and third in the sweep with a 2.0/6.
NBC
beat out ABC for third for the 2011-12 season, with an overall 2.5/7,
compared to ABC's 2.4/7. However, NBC finished last during the May sweep
with a 1.6/5, while ABC took second with a 2.1/6.
NBC's Sunday Night Football was the highest-rated primetime series in the demo and total viewers, ending American Idol's eight-year reign in both categories.
