NBC won week 51 of the 2003-04 season among total viewers and adults 18 to 49, but three football games on ABC and CBS’s offering of reality and repeats made both networks competitive with the launch of NBC’s “Joey” and “Father of the Pride.”

NBC won the week among adults 18 to 49 with a 3.3 rating, with ABC and Fox tied for second place with a 2.7, according to Nielsen Media Research. Among total viewers, NBC won with 8.94 million, with CBS at second place with 8.39 million, and ABC in third place with 7.19 million.

The highly anticipated “Friends” spinoff “Joey” was the top show for the week in adults 18 to 49 with a 7.5 rating. It was also the top show of the week among viewers, pulling in a total of 18.55 million. ABC’s special Thursday night NFL season opener came in second for the week in adults 18 to 49 (7.2) and viewers (16.87 million), while the season premiere of “The Apprentice 2” on NBC came in third with a 6.6 in adults 18 to 49 and fourth among total viewers with 14.05 million.

NBC’s special Thursday 10 p.m. preview of “Medical Investigation” was tied for sixth place in adults 18 to 49 with a 4.5 rating, along with a Thursday 9 p.m. rerun of “CSI.” The “Medical Investigation” special preview brought in 11.7 million total viewers, giving it a 7th-place finish for the week.

“Father of the Pride” garnered a 4.3 rating among adults 18 to 49, tying with “Fear Factor” for ninth place. “Pride” tied CBS’s “60 Minutes II” for 22nd place among total viewers with 9.89 million.