For the third time in the 16-week-old 2021-22 television season a program other than NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” topped the prime-time rankings, but like the other two times, it took another NFL game to do it.
ABC-ESPN simulcast of the Dallas Cowboys’ 51-26 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday averaged 20.207 million viewers, the most for a prime-time program since Oct. 28 when the Arizona Cardinals-Green Bay Packers “Thursday Night Football” game on Fox averaged 20.264 million viewers, according to live-plus-same-day figures released by Nielsen Tuesday. The game averaged 13.7 million viewers on ABC and 5.507 million on ESPN.
Only three prime-time programs this season averaged more viewers than Saturday’s game — the New England Patriots-Tampa Bay Buccaneers “Sunday Night Football” game Oct. 3 (26.747 million), its pregame show (20.317 million) and the Arizona-Green Bay game.
The Arizona-Green Bay and Buffalo Bills-New Orleans Saints Thanksgiving night game on NBC were the only other non-”Sunday Night Football” games to top the weekly ratings.
“Sunday Night Football” was second for the week, with the Chargers’ 35-32 overtime loss to Las Vegas Raiders averaging 17.691 million viewers, seventh among the season’s 18 “Sunday Night Football” games.
“60 Minutes” was the top rated non-sports program for the ninth time in the season, averaging 9.898 million viewers, seventh overall behind three NFL games, two NFL pregame shows and Fox’s 17-minute NFL postgame show, “The OT.”
The CBS crime drama “FBI” was the lead the ratings for entertainment programs for the second time in the season, averaging 8.52 million viewers, ninth for the week and second among non-sports programs.
CBS also had the top-ranked comedy, first-year series and 10 p.m. program. “Young Sheldon” led all comedies for the 14th consecutive week, averaging 7.385 million viewers, 10th for the week and second among entertainment programs. “Ghosts” was at the top of the list for first-year series for the fourth time, averaging 6.478 million viewers, 16th for the week and seventh among entertainment programs. The police drama “Blue Bloods” topped the list of 10 p.m. programs for the eighth time, averaging 6.068 million viewers, 17th for the week and eighth among entertainment programs.
“Judge Steve Harvey” had the largest audience of the seven premieres on the five major English-language networks, with the unscripted courtroom comedy averaging 5.158 million viewers, 19th among entertainment programs, 28th overall and second in its 8-9 p.m. time slot Jan. 4. The Fox crime drama “The Cleaning Lady” was second among the premieres, averaging 3.65 million viewers, 30th among entertainment programs, 41st overall and second in its 8-9 p.m. time slot Jan. 3.
