Source : Zap2It
The New England Patriots trounced the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday evening, earning the chance to repeat as Super Bowl champions. The AFC playoff battle helped boost the premiere of CBS' drama "Numb3rs" and carried the network to an easy Sunday win, despite another record performance by ABC's "Desperate Housewives."
Overall, CBS averaged a 21 rating/31 share in primetime, though as always in the case of live events, those numbers are subject to change. ABC was a strong, but distant second with a 10.5/15, far better than third place NBC's 5.4/8 or the 3.6/5 for FOX. The WB trailed with a 1.5/2.
Among adults 18-49, CBS had a 14.0 rating, doubling up the competition in the key demographic. ABC had a 6.9 rating in the important demo, as FOX moved up to third with a 2.6 rating. NBC was fourth with a 2.3 rating, still beating the 1.0 for The WB.
CBS swept the night, beginning at 7 p.m. with the 25.5/38 for the Patriots-Steelers game. NBC got a 7.5/11 from "Dateline" for second. ABC began in third with a 5.0/7 for "America's Funniest Home Videos." FOX was fourth with "King of the Hill" and "Malcolm in the Middle," at least beating the 0.8/1 for a repeat of "Summerland" on The WB.
Football gave CBS a 23.7/33 in its second hour, as ABC moved up with a 10.7/15 for "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." NBC was third with "American Dreams." FOX was fourth again with "The Simpsons" (4.8/7) and "Arrested Development" (3.4/5). The WB was fifth with the 2.2/3 for "Charmed."
With a 21.6/30, the football kept CBS on top for the 9 p.m. hour, but ABC was lurking. "Desperate Housewives" did a stunning 16.1/22 against the powerful competition, still doing an 11.1 rating among adults 18-49. NBC's screening of "Bridget Jones' Diary" was good for third, better than the 3.5/5 for a "Family Guy" repeat and an episode of "The Simpsons" on FOX. The WB was last again with "Steve Harvey's Big Time Challenge."
The special premiere of CBS' "Numb3rs" lost much of its football audience, but still won the 10 p.m. hour with a 13.4/21. "Boston Legal" was lurking on ABC with a 10.1/16. NBC's movie was in last.