TV Ratings: Cowboys-Falcons Give Sunday Night Football a Boost

Dallas Cowboys Atlanta Falcons 11/4 - H 2012

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Fast national numbers for last night's Sunday Night Football face-off between the Dallas Cowboys and the Atlanta Falcons give the NBC broadcast a boost over last week's game, up 16 percent from last Sunday's early returns for a 7.3 rating among adults 18-49 and 18.6 million viewers. A strong Football Night in America (4.2 adults rating) brought the network an average 6.1 rating with 18-49-ers for the night and 15.9 million viewers.

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NFL overage means the final numbers for CBS (a 3.3 rating with adults 18-49 and 13.7 million viewers) are subject to change. 60 Minutes started the night up 124 percent with a 3.8 rating among adults 18-49, before a steady Amazing Race at a 2.5 adults rating. The Good Wife dropped a tenth of a point to a tie a series low of a 1.7 rating with adults 18-49, though The Mentalist was up a tenth of a point for a 1.9 rating in the demo.

Without any overage to contend with, America's Funniest Home Videos was up nearly a half of a point on ABC for a 1.7 rating among adults 18-49. Once Upon a Time (3.5 rating among adults 18-49) was up five percent, though Revenge (2.6 adults rating) and 666 Park Avenue (1.4 adults rating) were both down, four and 13 percent respectively. The network averaged a 2.3 rating among adults 18-49 and 7.2 million viewers.

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Also skewed by NFL overrun, Fox's animation block saw drops across the board from their last original airings. After a repeat of The Simpsons (1.4 adults rating), The Cleveland Show was down 14 percent to a 1.9 in the demo. An original Simpsons fell 16 percent to a 2.6 rating among adults 18-49, Bob's Burgers fell 22 percent to a 1.8 in the demo, Family Guy was down 26 percent to a 2.5 adults rating and American Dad dropped 27 percent to a 1.9 with adults. The network averaged a 2.0 rating with adults 18-49 and 4.4 million viewers.

Univision had a 1.1 rating among adults 18-49.

Michael O'Connell