'Dateline NBC' beats 'Blue Bloods' takes No. 1 for NBC Friday

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‘Dateline NBC’ No. 1 for NBC Friday


At 8 p.m. ET, a rebroadcast of “Up All Night” (0.8/3 in 18-49, 3.2 million viewers overall) matched NBC’s highest 18-49 rating in this time period in 10 weeks (since July 15) and delivered the network’s biggest overall audience in the slot in nine weeks (since July 22), despite this week’s increased premiere-week competition.
 
At 8:30 p.m. ET, a rebroadcast of Thursday’s debut of “Whitney” (0.9/3 in 18-49, 3.1 million viewers overall) built on its 18-49 lead-in by 13 percent in 18-49 rating.  “Whitney” earned NBC’s highest 18-49 rating in the time period in 14 weeks (since June 17) and biggest overall viewership in the half-hour in nine weeks (since July 22), despite last night’s heightened premiere-week competition.

From 9-11 p.m. ET, “Dateline NBC” (2.0/6 in 18-49, 7.1 million viewers overall) is #1 for the time period among ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and CW in adults 18-49, adults 18-34 and other key categories.  This marks the 12th week in a row and the 15th time in its last 16 telecasts that Friday’s “Dateline” has ranked #1 or tied for #1 in the slot among non-sports programs on those networks in adults 18-49.

Versus its year-ago season premiere, “Dateline NBC” is up 25 percent in 18-49 rating (2.0 vs. 1.6).  This is the top 18-49 rating for a Friday “Dateline” since December 11, 2009 (featuring an interview with reported Tiger Woods mistress Jaime Jungers) and the biggest overall audience for a Friday “Dateline” since March 25, 2011.

Kicking off the 20th season of “Dateline,” Friday’s edition featured Josh Mankiewicz reporting on the story of Quinn Gray, the mother of two young girls who said their mother was kidnapped from her multi-million dollar oceanfront home in Ponte Vedra, Florida.

“Dateline NBC” is currently tied for the #1 rating of the night in adults 18-49 (with CBS’s season premiere of “Blue Bloods,” which “Dateline” out-rated head to head from 10-11 p.m.), pending updates.  If that tie stands in official nationals, it will mark the 14th time in 17 weeks that “Dateline NBC” has ranked #1 or tied for #1 among all non-sports Friday telecasts on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and CW.  
 
From its first half-hour to its fourth, “Dateline” grew by 50 percent in 18-49 rating (to a 2.4 from a 1.6) and by 40 percent or 2.3 million persons in total viewers (8.2 million vs. 5.9 million).  For its second hour from 10-11 p.m., “Dateline NBC” was #1 among ABC, CBS and NBC in all key demographics — adults, men and women 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54 — pending updates.

In the 10:30 lead-in to local news, “Dateline NBC” delivered an 11 percent margin of victory in the key news demo of adults 25-54 (with a 3.1 rating vs. a 2.8 for CBS’s second-place season premiere of “Blue Bloods”).  “Dateline” was also #1 among ABC, CBS and NBC in the 10:30 half-hour in all other key demographics, pending updates.

NBC is currently tied for #2 for the night among ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and CW in adults 18-49, just a tenth of a point out of first place, and is also tied for #1 in adults 18-34 and #1 outright in men 18-34.

(source; NBC)