CBS Tops Nielsens For 10th Straight Year
This image released by CBS shows Pauley Perrette in a scene from “NCIS.” CBS is finishing another television season atop the television ratings. But the network had to sweat a little this time. The traditional TV season that started in September ends on Wednesday, and CBS will win bragging rights for the 10th year in a row. (Patrick McElhenney/CBS via AP)
  • NEW YORK (AP)
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CBS is finishing another television season atop the television ratings, but the network had to sweat a little this time.

The traditional TV season that started in September ends on Wednesday, and CBS will win bragging rights for the 10th year in a row, the Nielsen company said. CBS has won for 15 of the last 16 years, the only exception being Fox during the height of “American Idol.”

Nielsen says CBS averages 9 million viewers in primetime this season. NBC is averaging 8.9 million, but there’s not enough time to catch up. NBC made it particularly close this year because it televised both the Super Bowl and the Winter Olympics, which let the network dominate in February.

But CBS withstood it with the strength of its regular schedule.

“This is an amazing accomplishment,” said Kelly Kahl, CBS entertainment president.

Still, it’s NBC’s closest finish to CBS in 16 years. NBC won among viewers aged 18-to-49-years-old, the demographic its advertisers care most about, for the fourth time in five years.

ABC is averaging 6.1 million viewers this season, and Fox is at 4.9 million, Nielsen said.

CBS won the last full week of the TV season, averaging 6.6 million viewers. NBC had 5 million viewers, ABC had 4.5 million, Fox had 2.5 million, Univision had 1.5 million, the CW and ION Television had 1.2 million and Telemundo had 1.1 million.

TNT was the week’s most popular cable network, averaging 3.06 million viewers in primetime. Fox News Channel had 2.34 million, ESPN had 2.28 million, MSNBC had 1.67 million and USA had 1.39 million.

ABC’s “World News Tonight” topped the evening newscasts with an average of 8.2 million viewers. NBC’s “Nightly News” was second with 7.8 million and the “CBS Evening News” had 5.7 million viewers.

Below are primetime viewership numbers compiled by Nielsen for May 14-20. Listings include the week’s ranking and viewership.

1. “NCIS,” CBS, 12.71 million.
2. “Roseanne,” ABC, 10.74 million.
3. “NCIS: New Orleans,” CBS, 9.44 million.
4. NBA Conference Finals: Golden State at Houston, Game 1, TNT, 8.9 million.
5. “The Voice” (Monday), NBC, 8.7 million.
6. NBA Conference Finals: Cleveland at Boston, Game 2, ESPN, 8.42 million.
7. “60 Minutes,” CBS, 8.36 million.
8. “The Voice” (Tuesday), NBC, 8.16 million.
9. “Billboard Music Awards,” NBC, 7.87 million.
10. “NCIS: Los Angeles,” CBS, 7.82 million.
11. NBA Conference Finals: Houston at Golden State, Game 3, TNT, 7.8 million.
12. “Dancing With the Stars: Athletes,” ABC, 7.69 million.
13. “Grey’s Anatomy,” ABC, 7.6 million.
14. NBA Conference Finals: Golden State at Houston, Game 2, TNT, 7.56 million.
15. “Survivor,” CBS, 7.54 million.
16. “American Idol” (Sunday), ABC, 7.47 million.
17. “The Big Bang Theory,” CBS, 7.18 million.
18. “Young Sheldon, CBS, 7.04 million.
19. NBA Conference Finals: Boston at Cleveland, Game 3, ESPN, 6.83 million.
20. “Hawaii Five-0,” CBS, 6.62 million.

ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Co.; CBS is a division of CBS Corp.; Fox is owned by 21st Century Fox; NBC is owned by NBC Universal.

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