TV ratings: 'The Firm' starts quietly, NFL playoffs give CBS a big win Sunday

Fast National ratings for Sunday, Jan. 8, 2012

An overtime NFL playoff game on CBS delivered a huge audience early Sunday night and led the network to a big ratings win. Elsewhere, "The Firm" had a pretty soft start for NBC, particularly in the adults 18-49 demographic, while "Once Upon a Time" returned to ABC with improved numbers compared to its last couple episodes of the fall.

Thanks to the Steelers-Broncos game running past 8 p.m. ET, CBS delivered 22.6 million viewers and a 13.2 rating/20 share in households for the night (those numbers will change some because of the live NFL telecast). ABC (7.2 million, 4.4/7) finished a distant second. NBC took third overall with 6.25 million viewers and a 4.1/6, while FOX (4 million, 2.3/3) trailed.

CBS also dominated the adults 18-49 demographic with a 7.1 rating. ABC came in second with a 2.3, followed by FOX at 1.9. NBC averaged a 1.3 in the demo.

Sunday hour by hour:

7 p.m.

CBS: AFC wild-card game - Steelers/Broncos (41.9 million viewers, 23.3/35 households)
ABC: "America's Funniest Home Videos" (5.8 million, 3.4/5)
NBC: "Dateline" (5 million, 3.5/5)
FOX: "Bob's Burgers" rerun (1.8 million, 1.1/2)/"The Cleveland Show" rerun (2.3 million, 1.3/2)

18-49 leader: AFC wild-card game (14.8)

8 p.m.

CBS: NFL overrun/"60 Minutes" (25.2 million, 14.5/21)
ABC: "Once Upon a Time" (10.3 million, 5.9/9)
NBC: "Dateline" (7.4 million, 5.1/7)
FOX: "The Simpsons" (5.1 million, 2.7/4)/"The Cleveland Show" (4.4 million, 2.5/4)

18-49 leader: NFL overrun/"60 Minutes" (7.9)

9 p.m.

CBS: "60 Minutes"/"The Good Wife" (12.7 million, 8.1/12)
ABC: "Desperate Housewives" (8.8 million, 5.6/8)
NBC: "The Firm" series premiere (6.8 million, 4.2/6)
FOX: "Family Guy" (6 million, 3.6/5)/"American Dad" (4.6 million, 2.8/4)

18-49 leader: "Desperate Housewives" and "60 Minutes"/"The Good Wife" tied at 3.0

10 p.m.

CBS: "The Good Wife"/"CSI: Miami" (10.8 million, 6.9/11)
NBC: "The Firm" (5.8 million, 3.7/6)
ABC: "Pan Am" (4 million, 2.7/4)

18-49 leader: "The Good Wife"/"CSI: Miami" (2.7)

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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