ABC’s 9 p.m. (ET) one-hour “Desperate Housewives” was the top-rated network program Sunday in adults 18 to 49, helping ABC win the night in the ratings group most prized by advertisers.

“Housewives” scored an 8.5 preliminary national rating in adults 18 to 49, a number that include live viewing plus same-day viewing via digital video recorders, according to Nielsen Media Research.

NBC’s “Sunday Night Football,” which ran from 8:15 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., scored a 5.7 in adults 18 to 49. ABC’s 8 p.m. reality series “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” and the new 10 p.m. drama “Brothers & Sisters” tied for third place with a 5.3 rating in the demo, followed by CBS’s 10 p.m. drama “Without a Trace,” which scored a 4.4 rating.

ABC was tops among the broadcasters with a 5.4 rating, followed by NBC (4.8), Fox (3.5), CBS (3.4) and The CW (1.1).