TV ratings: No contest as Olympics dominate Friday

Fast National ratings for Friday, Feb. 26, 2010

The Winter Olympics drew an audience bigger than the combined total of the other four networks Friday, winning the night by a whopping 19 million viewers. The competition was light, to be sure, but the margin of victory was still pretty incredible.

NBC scored 23.5 million viewers and a 13.4 rating/23 share in primetime. Among those battling for scraps, CBS (4.6 million, 3.1/5) had the best numbers, while ABC (3.5 million, 2.3/4) came in third. FOX averaged 2.9 million viewers and a 1.9/3, while The CW (2.1 million, 1.2/2) trailed.

In the adults 18-49 demo, NBC's 6.1 rating was far and away the night's best. CBS took second with a 1.2, followed by ABC, 1.1; The CW, 0.9; and FOX, 0.8.

Friday hour by hour:

8 p.m.

NBC: Winter Olympics (19.6 million viewers, 11.3/19 households)
CBS: "Ghost Whisperer" rerun (5.1 million, 3.4/6)
ABC: Movie - "Blades of Glory" (3.5 million, 2.2/4)
FOX: Special - 41st annual NAACP Image Awards (2.7 million, 1.8/3)
The CW: "Smallville" (2.5 million, 1.5/3)

18-49 leader: Winter Olympics (4.5)

9 p.m.

NBC: Winter Olympics (26.1 million, 14.6/24)
CBS: "Medium" rerun (4.1 million, 2.8/5)
FOX: NAACP Image Awards (3.03 million, 2.0/3)
ABC: "Blades of Glory" (3.02 million, 1.9/3)
The CW: "Smallville" rerun (1.6 million, 0.9/1)

18-49 leader: Winter Olympics (6.7)

10 p.m.

NBC: Winter Olympics (24.75 million, 14.2/24)
CBS: "Numb3rs" rerun (4.7 million, 3.1/5)
ABC: "20/20" (4 million, 2.8/5)

18-49 leader: Winter Olympics (7.0)

Ratings information includes live and same-day DVR viewing. All numbers are preliminary and subject to change. Source: The Nielsen Company.

More ratings at Zap2it: Daily, weekly and cable

Photo credit: NBC