TV ratings: 'Sunday Night Football' up over last week, 'Pan Am' and 'Housewives' down

Fast National ratings for Sunday, Oct. 9, 2011

The defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers helped NBC's "Sunday Night Football" improve on its ratings from last week, and the Peacock once again finished the night on top. Football also inflated CBS' ratings some, while ABC's dramas "Desperate Housewives" and "Pan Am" declined.

NBC averaged 16.2 million viewers and a 10.2 rating/16 share in households Sunday night, beating CBS' 12.1 million and 7.9/12. The numbers for both networks will change some because of the live NFL broadcasts in primetime. ABC came in third with 7.2 million viewers and a 4.7/7. FOX (2.7 million, 1.6/2) was way behind with a slate of reruns after a scheduled American League Championship Series game was rained out.

NBC dominated the adults 18-49 demographic with a 6.3 rating. CBS finished second with a 3.1, followed by ABC at 2.0. FOX drew a 1.0 in the demo.

Sunday hour by hour:

7 p.m.

CBS: NFL overrun/"60 Minutes" (17.75 million viewers, 11.3/19 households)
NBC: "Football Night in America" (8.5 million, 5.4/9)
ABC: "America's Funniest Home Videos" (6.6 million, 4.0/7)
FOX: "The Cleveland Show" reruns - two episodes (1.85 million, 1.1/2)

18-49 leader: NFL/"60 Minutes" (5.3)

8 p.m.

NBC: "Sunday Night Football" - Packers/Falcons (17.8 million, 11.0/17)
CBS: "60 Minutes"/"The Amazing Race" (11.2 million, 7.2/11)
ABC: "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" (7.3 million, 4.5/7)
FOX: "The X Factor" rerun (2.8 million, 1.7/3)

18-49 leader: "Sunday Night Football" (6.8)

9 p.m.

NBC: "Sunday Night Football" (19.6 million, 12.2/18)
CBS: "The Amazing Race"/"The Good Wife" (9.6 million, 6.2/9)
ABC: "Desperate Housewives" (8.5 million, 5.7/8)
FOX: "The X Factor" rerun (3.3 million, 2.0/3)

18-49 leader: "Sunday Night Football" (7.6)

10 p.m.

NBC: "Sunday Night Football" (19 million, 12.1/19)
CBS: "The Good Wife"/"CSI: Miami" (10 million, 6.8/11)
ABC: "Pan Am" (6.4 million, 4.4/7)

18-49 leader: "Sunday Night Football" (7.8)

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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