Ratings Chart Attack!

A close football game at the beginning of the night bolstered CBS, but a dominating NFL matchup at the end didn’t necessarily help NBC in the Sunday ratings.

Overrun from a Raiders/Jets game that went into overtime helped CBS tie as the highest-rated network for the night with a 3.7 rating/9 share nightly average in the 18- to 49-year-old demographic, according to preliminary Nielsen Media Research data.

CBS led the night in total viewers with 13.5 million.

The rest of CBS’ lineup, “60 Minutes” (4.3/12), “The Amazing Race” (3.0/7), “Cold Case” (2.7/6) and “The Unit” (2.5/6), is likely to see final numbers change due to live events’ effects on fast nationals.

ABC also drew a 3.7/9 for the night, led by “Desperate Housewives” (5.6/12), down 5% from last week to its lowest showing of the season. “Brothers and Sisters” (3.5/9) declined by a tenth of a ratings point.

“America’s Funniest Home Videos” grew by 11% to a 2.1/6, while “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” dipped by 5% to a 3.6/9.

NBC’s coverage of the Seahawks versus the Buccaneers (3.2/8) fell 27% from its coverage last week of the Patriots against the Chargers. The Seahawks are in the cellar in the NFC West and the Bucs waltzed into the halftime leading 17-0, which could partially explain the lower viewership. In addition, the game aired opposite game seven of the American League Championship Series, which may have siphoned off viewers.

NBC had a 2.8/7 for the night, placing fourth.

Fox ended the night in third, averaging a 3.2/8, with its animation block of “The Simpsons” (3.8/10), “King of the Hill” (3.5/8), “Family Guy” (4.7/10) and “American Dad” (3.3/7). “Guy” and “Hill” posted season highs in adults 18-49.

The CW’s Media Rights Capital-fueled night continues to dwindle, nearing hash mark territory, which would be an audience too small for Nielsen to measure.

“In Harm’s Way” (0.2/1) slipped a tenth of a percentage point from last week, while “Valentine” (0.2/1) declined 50%. “Easy Money” drew a 0.2/0, down a tick. The CW placed fifth overall with a 0.2/1.

On Friday, NBC premiered “Crusoe” to a 1.6/5, which is down 24% from last year’s premieres of “Deal or No Deal” and “Las Vegas” in the time period.

Overseas partners are reducing production costs on “Crusoe,” meaning while the numbers aren’t stellar, NBC isn’t sweating it because it isn’t completely financial vested.

This isn’t the case for “Life” (1.5/5), which improved a tenth of a point from last week but is still on the low side of its numbers.

NBC ended the night in third with a 1.6/5.

CBS ended up taking the night with a 2.2/7 in the demo and 7.9 million total viewers. “Ghost Whisperer” (2.5/9, 8.9 million), “The Ex List” (2.0/6, 6.4 million) and “Numb3rs” (2.1/7, 8.6 million) landed on their season averages.

ABC placed second with a 1.9/6, followed by Fox with a 1.4/5 and The CW with a 0.7/2.
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