Ratings Separate NFL Pros From 'Idol's' Amateurs

By John Maynard
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, January 24, 2007; Page C07

For five days last week, Fox had bragging rights for the most watched show of the 2006-07 television season: the "American Idol" premiere on Tuesday that drew more than 37 million viewers.

The almighty NFL ended that short run.


Save & Share Article What's This?

DiggGoogle
del.icio.usYahoo!
RedditFacebook

The highly anticipated prime-time matchup of the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots in the AFC championship game was watched by 46.7 million viewers on CBS Sunday night.

Beside being television's biggest audience of the season, the game also was the most watched non-Super Bowl program since the series finale of NBC's "Friends" in May 2004.

In addition, the game, which saw Colts quarterback Peyton Manning finally break the postseason curse of the Patriots with a 38-34 victory, was the highest-rated AFC championship game since 1986, when the Patriots beat the Miami Dolphins.

Thanks to the game, CBS easily won the weekly Nielsen ratings battle despite the mighty one-two punch of "American Idol" last week.

"Idol's" sixth-season premiere audience of 37.4 million gave Fox its biggest Tuesday night in history. Nearly 37 million viewers returned Wednesday night.

NBC was a distant third last week, with its biggest draw being Monday's Golden Globe Awards.

Its audience of 20 million was the network's largest on a Monday in seven years, not counting the Olympics.

In its first airing since winning two Golden Globes, ABC's "Ugly Betty" on Thursday had its best number since October, 14.1 million viewers.

Last week's Stephen Colbert-Bill O'Reilly swapping stunt proved beneficial for both gentlemen.

On Thursday, Colbert, who spoofs O'Reilly nightly as host of Comedy Central's "Colbert Report," agreed to be a guest on "The O'Reilly Factor" on Fox News Channel.

Later in the evening, O'Reilly appeared on Colbert's show.

"The O'Reilly Factor" drew nearly 3 million viewers, 1 million more than it averages.

"The Colbert Report" averaged 1.7 million viewers, its best audience ever and about 500,000 more than its average.

The week's top 10 shows, in order, were: CBS's AFC championship game; Fox's Tuesday and Wednesday "American Idol"; ABC's "Grey's Anatomy"; CBS's "CSI"; NBC's Golden Globe Awards; ABC's "Desperate Housewives"; CBS's "NCIS"; Fox's "24"; and CBS's "Shark."