NBC Wins Its Fourth Consecutive November Sweep

Jaimie Alexander stars in NBC's "Blindspot," which tied for the November Sweeps' top rated series (NBC/Universal Media LLC photo).

LOS ANGELES - NBC has won the November 2015 primetime Nielsen sweep in adults 18-49, marking the network’s fourth consecutive November victory. NBC’s November win was led by “Sunday Night Football,” primetime’s #1 series on the Big 4 networks; “The Voice,” #1 alternative series; and “Blindspot,” tied as the sweep’s top-rated new series in 18-49.

The four wins in a row represent NBC’s longest November streak since the network took four straight from 2000 through 2003, and it equals NBC’s longest November winning streak in people meter history dating back to 1987. According to “live plus same day” results through 25 of the month’s 28 nights (Oct. 29 through Sunday Nov. 22), NBC ranks #1 among the Big 4 networks in every key demographic – adults, men and women 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54 – while ranking #2 in total viewers.

NBC currently leads the sweep in 18-49 by a +21% margin (with a 2.3 rating vs. a 1.9 for #2 Fox, “live plus same day”), which, if it stands in final sweep results, will be the biggest percentage win for any network in a November sweep in 19 years (since 1996, +22% for NBC over #2 ABC). Last year’s NBC margin for the full 28 nights was +15% (2.3 vs. 2.0 for #2 ABC). NBC is retaining 100% of its year-ago November average in adults 18-49 (2.3 vs. 2.3 for the same 25-night portion of the November 2014 sweep) as well as adults 25-54 (a first-place 2.9 vs. last year’s 2.9) and retaining 99% in total viewers (8.134 million vs. 8.243 million) with three nights to count.

NOVEMBER SWEEP AVERAGES

Through 25 of 28 Nights, Oct. 29-Nov. 22, L+SD

Net… Adult 18-49 Rating…Total Viewers

NBC…2.3…8.134 million

CBS…1.8…9.566 million

ABC…1.7…6.606 million

Fox…1.9…6.120 million

CW…0.6…1.475 million

Among Big 4 regular schedules, NBC ranks #1 in 18-49 for the sweep on Mondays (with a 2.8 rating average), Tuesdays (2.1) and Sundays (6.1).

For the November sweep to date, “Sunday Night Football” is the #1 primetime series on the Big 4 in adults 18-49 (7.5 rating, “live plus same day”) and also ranks #1 in total viewers, adults 18-34, adults 25-54, all key adult-male demos and kids 2-11.

The Monday edition of “The Voice” is November’s #1 alternative series in adults 18-49 (3.2) and every other key demographic. NBC’s “Blindspot” and the newly premiered “Chicago Med” are currently tied as the month’s top-rated first-year series on the Big 4 in adults 18-49, with 2.2 ratings each (L+SD).

Joining “Sunday Night Football” in the November sweep Top 30 among primetime Big 4 series are Monday’s “The Voice” (#5), Tuesday’s “The Voice” (#7), Monday’s “Blindspot” (tied for #12), Tuesday’s “Chicago Med” (tied for #12), Tuesday’s “Chicago Fire” (tied for #18) and Wednesday’s “Law & Order: SVU” (tied for #26). Rankings exclude sports pre- and post-game shows.

In “live plus same day” averages for the 10:30 lead-in to local news, Monday through Friday, NBC tied for #1 during the sweep in the key news demo of adults 25-54, with a 1.8 rating (tied with ABC’s 1.8 and ahead of CBS’s 1.7).

In “most current” results for the season to date, NBC is running #1 among ABC, CBS and NBC in the 10:30 lead-in to local news, averaging a 2.8 rating Monday through Friday in the key news demo of adults 25-54, ahead of CBS (2.7) and ABC (2.4). NBC has improved its season-to-date position versus one year ago, when it was tied for #2 with CBS and ABC ranked #1.