• by Wayne Friedman , December 13, 2013

Although almost all networks have found success with new shows this season, many are still struggling to find improved overall ratings -- especially when sports programming is taken out of the picture.

For example, in October the networks averaged 11.8 million among key 18-49 viewers viewers, inching up by just 1.2% -- per Nielsen's C3 metric, the average live commercial rating plus three days of time-shifting.

Much of this was the result of improved sports programming on NBC with “Sunday Night Football” and Fox with the Major League Baseball playoffs, including the World Series. NBC led all networks with 3.8 million 18-49 viewers.

But taking sports out the picture, C3 numbers are down 3.5% to a four-network total of 10.2 million 18-49 viewers. Analysts say scripted programming as a whole is suffering.

Looking at this subset of this data -- non-sports programming -- yields a different picture: ABC, not NBC, is in the lead. Through the last week in November, ABC leads with 2.10 in C3 ratings among 18-49 viewers; NBC and CBS each have a 2.03 rating; and Fox, a 1.84 number.

The top non-sports C3-rated show through Nov. 24 is CBS’ “Big Bang Theory” with a 5.06 18-49 rating. NBC’s “The Voice” on Monday is at a 4.19 rating; “The Voice” on Tuesday has a 3.7 rating; ABC’s “Modern Family” is at a 3.64 rating; and ABC’s “Scandal” is at a 3.56 rating.

The next five: NBC’s “The Blacklist,” 3.55; CBS’ “How I Met Your Mother,” 3.18; ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy,” 3.17; CBS’ “NCIS,” a 3.09; and ABC’s “Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” 3.08.

A year ago through Nov. 25, ABC took a 2.18 rating among 18-49 viewers in the C3 metric, followed by CBS at a 2.10 rating; and NBC and Fox, each with a 2.03 rating .