THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL BEATS SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

CBS wrapped up its first season of Thursday Night Football with its coverage of the San Diego Chargers/Denver Broncos game leading the weekly Nielsen ratings list. It was the first time that the Thursday telecast had topped NBC’s Sunday Night Football in the ratings. However, the numbers were close. The CBS telecast averaged 20.2 million viewers; NBC’s coverage of the Green Bay Packers/New Orleans Saints game averaged 18.8 million. On the other hand, among the key 18-49 age group, the NBC telecast came out on top with a 7.1 rating, while the CBS telecast followed with a 6.7. For the week overall, the ratings followed a similar pattern: NBC leading among the key demo; CBS leading among total viewers. Fox returned to the top ten with its coverage of the World Series between the San Francisco Giants and the Kansas City Royals, with Game 1 and Game 2 tying for fifth place in the demo. Among total viewers, Game 2 wound up in eighth place; Game 5 in ninth. (Game 4 struck out with a 19th-place finish.) It was enough to give Fox a second-place finish for the week among total viewers and households. CBS’s NCIS was the most-watched scripted show, with 17.1 million viewers, to place third, while the new NCIS: New Orleans followed in fourth place with 16.1 million. Oddly, NCIS: Los Angeles, which ordinarily followed closely behind the original skidded to 33rd place. NBC issued a news release on Tuesday noting that NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams posted a 1 percent growth in total viewers versus 2013 and delivered its best season start since 2006. Last week it averaged 8.4 million viewers versus 7.9 million for ABC World News Tonight with David Muir and 6.5 million for the CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley. For the week overall, CBS remained in first place with a household rating of 7.2 and a 12 share. Fox rose to second place with a 6.1/10. NBC took third with a 4.9/8, while ABC trailed with a 4.3/7.