TV ratings: NFL helps FOX feast on Thanksgiving

Fast National ratings for Thursday, Nov. 25, 2010

An NFL game that bled into primetime gave FOX a ratings victory on an otherwise quiet Thanksgiving night. Concert specials from Taylor Swift on NBC and Beyonce on ABC drew about equal-sized audiences -- neither one of them very big.

Thanks to the New Orleans Saints-Dallas Cowboys game, FOX averaged 7.6 million viewers and a 3.9 rating/8 share in primetime (though that will change some because of the live NFL coverage). CBS (6.9 million, 4.1/8) was not far behind in second place. ABC's 4.4 million viewers and 2.4/5 was good enough for third, beating NBC's 4.1 million and 2.5/5. The CW (2.7 million, 1.4/3) had its numbers inflated some because its New York affiliate aired the nighttime NFL game.

FOX also led the adults 18-49 demographic with a 2.7 rating. CBS took second with a 1.7, ahead of ABC's 1.4. NBC drew a 1.0 and The CW a 0.9.

Thursday hour by hour:

8 p.m.

FOX: NFL overrun/"The Simpsons Movie" (10.5 million viewers, 5.2/11 households)
CBS: "The Big Bang Theory" rerun (6.4 million, 3.6/8)/"$#*! My Dad Says" rerun (6.05 million, 3.5/7)
ABC: Special - "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" (5 million, 2.4/5)
NBC: Special - "Taylor Swift: Speak Now" (4.4 million, 2.5/5)
The CW: "The Vampire Diaries" rerun (2.2 million, 1.1/2)

18-49 leader: NFL/"The Simpsons Movie" (3.6)

9 p.m.

CBS: "The Big Bang Theory" rerun (7.1 million, 4.1/8)/"Mike & Molly" rerun (6.5 million, 3.8/7)
FOX: "The Simpsons Movie" (4.7 million, 2.6/5)
NBC: Special - "Matt Lauer's People of the Year" (4.4 million, 2.8/5)
ABC: "Modern Family" rerun (4.2 million, 2.3/5)/Special - "Beyonce: I Am ... World Tour" (3.5 million, 2.1/4)
The CW: "Nikita" rerun (3.2 million, 1.7/3)

18-49 leader: "The Big Bang Theory" (2.0)

10 p.m.

CBS: "The Mentalist" rerun (7.6 million, 4.7/9)
ABC: "Beyonce: I Am ... World Tour" (4.4 million, 2.6/5)
NBC: "The Apprentice" (3.4 million, 2.2/4)

18-49 leader: "The Mentalist" (1.6)

Ratings information includes live and same-day DVR viewing. All numbers are preliminary and subject to change, especially in the case of live telecasts. Source: The Nielsen Company.

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