• by Wayne Friedman , October 15, 2013

Three weeks into the new season, NBC is retaining its top spot among key viewers. ABC is the only network to improve year-to-year.

NBC is at a Nielsen 2.88 average 18-49 rating in the live-plus-same-day time-shifting metric, down 2.4% from a year ago. NBC continues to be strong as a result of shows like “The Voice” (a 4.8 rating among 18-49 viewers for Monday episodes) and “Sunday Night Football” (7.7 rating).

CBS is next at a 2.08 rating, down 7.1% from the previous year’s three-week period. ABC -- benefitting from new show “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” (3.6 rating) and strong second-year show “Scandal” (3.4 rating) -- has a 2.07 rating, up 1.5%. Fox is down 7.0% to a 1.89 rating.

NBC was in the same leading position a year ago after three weeks. Overall, the four major English-language broadcast networks are down 3.4% to an average 2.25 rating.

When it comes to overall viewers, CBS also retains its top spot, with NBC and Fox the only two networks gaining. CBS is at 9.88 million, down 2.4%. NBC is at 9.02 million viewers, 9.9% higher -- followed by ABC, at 7.44 million, off 5.8%; and Fox, at 5.51 million, slightly up 0.4%.

Overall, the four networks are slightly higher than a year ago in total viewers --  at 8.11 million, a gain of 0.4%.
 
The top-rated new shows among 18-49 viewers include ABC’s “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” (3.6 rating); NBC’s “The Blacklist” (3.4 rating); CBS’s The Millers (3.2 rating); CBS’ “The Crazy Ones” (3.1 rating), and Fox’s “Sleepy Hollow” (3.0 rating).

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