After 26 weeks of the 2008-9 season, through March 22, 2009, Fox continues to expand its leads for adults 18-49 and 18-34, and cut into the CBS lead in adults 25-54.
CBS has the most average adults 25-54 with 4.74 million, followed by Fox with 4.64 million. The rate at which Fox is gaining slowed last week. At that rate it will take 5 more weeks to catch CBS. Whether CBS can claw back into the lead after American Idol ends is the only question left for that demo.
CBS continues to hold the average viewership lead for the season with 11.19 million followed by Fox with 9.10 million. Those positions are not going to change before the end of the season in May.
Fox holds the season to date lead in adults 18-49, and is not likely to be dethroned, averaging 4.37 million adults 18-49 to CBS's 3.86 million. With an average of 2.00 million Fox occupies the top for adults 18-34 followed by NBC with 1.56 million and ABC with 1.52 million. Note that NBC season averages are boosted approximately 10% in each category due to the Super Bowl.
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Nielsen TV Ratings Data: ©2009 The Nielsen Company. All Rights Reserved.
At least NBC is still holding onto #2 in 18-34, the only where they are not in last place (or tied for last).
ABC has still only tied NBC in 18-49 for the season. It looks like this will change as ABC looks to finish the season better than the peacock, but it goes to show how far ABC is from being very healthy.
128boy, 0.18 million of NBC’s 1.56 million average 18-34 viewership is due to the Super Bowl week alone. Remove that and they fall well behind ABC and almost down to CBS.
Bill, that is what I get for not reading the last paragraph!