• by Wayne Friedman , December 1, 2015

Helped by some big NFL programming, NBC and CBS have kept viewership losses to a minimum this year when looking at live program-plus-same day data.

Both networks are down just 4% each for the first two months of the season -- September 21 through November 22 -- among average live-plus-same day 18-49 viewers, according to Nielsen.

NBC is still the leader with a Nielsen 2.35 average 18-49 rating. CBS is next at a 2.02, followed by Fox at a 1.77, off 1% from a year ago; ABC, 1.64, down 16%; and the CW, at 0.53, losing 12%.

The picture is much the same when looking at total viewers. CBS leads with 10.06 million, down 4%, followed by NBC at 8.3 million, losing 3%; ABC at 6.5 million, giving up 13%; Fox at 5.5 million, slipping 2%; and the CW at 1.4 million, cutting back 10%.

In addition to the NFL programming factor this season, some of the bigger changes include Fox’s high-rated “Empire” starting its second season in the fall rather than midseason. All that helped Fox keep losses to a minimum.

Taking out sports and specials paints a grimmer picture: NBC is down 9% in 18-49 viewers to an average 1.66 rating and down 5% in total viewers to an average 6.8 million. CBS is off 14% in 18-49 to a 1.53 rating and loses 9% in total viewers to 9.2 million.

Without sports and specials, ABC looks much better versus the competition -- just 2/100th of a rating point behind NBC at a 1.64 among 18-49 viewers, although down 16% from a year ago. ABC also is losing 14% among total viewers to a 6.7-million-viewer mark.

Fox also shows better results without sports and specials for the first two months of the season -- up 12% in 18-49 to a 1.58 rating average and 15% better among total viewers to 4.5 million. Again, all this was helped by having “Empire” on the fall schedule.

The CW -- without sports and specials -- is down 14% to a 0.56 rating among 18-49 viewers, as well as giving up 11% in total viewers to a 1.5 million level.