Benefitting from having the NFL’s opening regular season game Thursday, NBC was first in ratings with a 9.2 rating/26 share in the advertiser-desired 18-49 demographic and first in total viewers with an average of 23.2 million, according to preliminary numbers. Though due to the nature of live sports, those initial numbers are approximate.
The “NBC Sports NFL Kickoff Party ’13” at 8 p.m. earned a 5.6/19 and 15.1 million viewers. At 8:30, the game — which was delayed 33 minutes due to lightning in the area — earned a 10.0/27 and 24.8 million viewers, making it easily the highest-rated and most-watched telecast of the evening.
CBS was second in ratings with a 1.5/4 and in total viewers with 5.9 million. In between reruns, “Big Brother” earned a 2.4/6 and 7.1 million viewers at 9.
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Univision was third in ratings with a 1.4/4 and fourth in total viewers with 3.5 million.
ABC was in fourth in ratings with a 1.1/3 and third in total viewers with 3.8 million. “Wipeout” at 8 received a 1.1/3 and 3.5 million viewers. At 10, “Rookie Blue” earned a 1.0/3 and 4.2 million viewers.
Fox and Telemundo tied for fifth in ratings, each with a 0.5/1. Fox was fifth in viewers with 1.6 million, airing entirely reruns. Telemundo was sixth in viewers with 1.1 million.
The CW was seventh in ratings with a 0.2/1 and in total viewers with 677,000. It aired entirely repeats.
