NFL football returned and the Thursday and Sunday game coverage on NBC (plus the OT on FOX) dominated the weekly broadcast charts taking all the top 5 spots and 7 out of the top 10 spots both with adults 18-49 and total viewers.
Sunday night’s game was the most-watched Sunday Night Football game ever, and the combined viewing between Thursday and Sunday was the best since 2002.
America’s Got Talent was pushed to 8th with adults 18-49 and seventh with total viewers. A rerun of The Simpsons on Sunday night was the top scripted show with adults 18-49, and a rerun of NCIS was the top scripted show among viewers of all ages.
Primetime Broadcast Adults 18-49 viewing for the week ending September 12, 2010:
| Rank | Shows | R=Repeat S=Special P=Premiere | Net | 18-49 Rating | 18-49 Viewers |
| 1 | NBC NFL THURSDAY SPECIAL(S) | S | NBC | 10.7 | 14,108 |
| 2 | NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL | P | NBC | 9.6 | 12,685 |
| 3 | SUNDAY NIGHT NFL PRE-KICK | P | NBC | 7.1 | 9,340 |
| 4 | NBC NFL THURSDAY PRE-KICK(S) | S | NBC | 7.0 | 9,197 |
| 5 | OT, THE | P | FOX | 5.5 | 7,260 |
| 6 | FOOTBALL NT AMERICA PT 3 | P | NBC | 5.4 | 7,079 |
| 7 | NFL OPENING KICK-OFF SHOW(S) | S | NBC | 4.0 | 5,278 |
| 8 | AMERICA’S GOT TALENT-TUE | NBC | 3.3 | 4,324 | |
| 9 | SIMPSONS | R | FOX | 2.9 | 3,777 |
| 10 | AMERICA’S GOT TALENT-WED | NBC | 2.8 | 3,664 | |
| 11 | WIPEOUT-TUES | ABC | 2.8 | 3,654 | |
| 12 | BIG BROTHER 12-WED | CBS | 2.7 | 3,590 | |
| 13 | BIG BROTHER 12-THU | CBS | 2.6 | 3,385 | |
| 14 | MASTERCHEF | FOX | 2.5 | 3,265 | |
| 15 | SOY TU DUENA WED | UNI | 2.4 | 3,159 | |
| 16 | BIG BANG THEORY, THE SP(S) | SR | CBS | 2.3 | 3,007 |
| 17 | SOY TU DUENA THU | UNI | 2.3 | 2,968 | |
| 18 | SOY TU DUENA MON | UNI | 2.2 | 2,934 | |
| 19 | TWO AND A HALF MEN SP(S) | SR | CBS | 2.2 | 2,856 |
| 20 | BIG BROTHER 12-SUN | CBS | 2.2 | 2,852 | |
| 21 | FAMILY GUY-SUN 9:30P | R | FOX | 2.1 | 2,808 |
| 22 | WIPEOUT SP-9/7(S) | SR | ABC | 2.1 | 2,733 |
| 23 | HASTA DINERO SEPARE WED | UNI | 2.1 | 2,727 | |
| 24 | SOY TU DUENA FRI | UNI | 2.1 | 2,713 | |
| 25 | BACHELOR PAD SP-9/6(S) | S | ABC | 2.0 | 2,663 |
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Primetime Broadcast Network Total viewing (all ages) for the week ending September 12, 2010:
| Rank2 | Shows | R=Repeat S=Special P=Premiere | Net | # Viewers (LIVE+SD) (000) | HH RATING (LIVE+SD) | HH SHARE (LIVE+SD) |
| 1 | NBC NFL THURSDAY SPECIAL(S) | S | NBC | 27485 | 16.5 | 28 |
| 2 | NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL | P | NBC | 25262 | 15.0 | 25 |
| 3 | NBC NFL THURSDAY PRE-KICK(S) | S | NBC | 19680 | 12.0 | 21 |
| 4 | SUNDAY NIGHT NFL PRE-KICK | P | NBC | 19035 | 11.1 | 19 |
| 5 | FOOTBALL NT AMERICA PT 3 | P | NBC | 14528 | 8.5 | 15 |
| 6 | OT, THE | P | FOX | 13262 | 8.0 | 14 |
| 7 | AMERICA’S GOT TALENT-TUE | NBC | 12345 | 7.3 | 12 | |
| 8 | AMERICA’S GOT TALENT-WED | NBC | 12142 | 7.3 | 12 | |
| 9 | NFL OPENING KICK-OFF SHOW(S) | S | NBC | 11460 | 7.4 | 14 |
| 10 | NCIS | R | CBS | 10079 | 6.5 | 11 |
| 11 | 60 MINUTES | R | CBS | 8266 | 5.5 | 10 |
| 12 | WIPEOUT-TUES | ABC | 8164 | 4.4 | 7 | |
| 13 | NCIS: LOS ANGELES | R | CBS | 8111 | 5.3 | 8 |
| 14 | TWO AND A HALF MEN SP(S) | SR | CBS | 8017 | 4.9 | 8 |
| 15 | BIG BROTHER 12-THU | CBS | 7825 | 4.6 | 8 | |
| 16 | BIG BROTHER 12-WED | CBS | 7815 | 4.6 | 8 | |
| 17 | BIG BANG THEORY, THE SP(S) | SR | CBS | 7744 | 4.7 | 7 |
| 18 | CRIMINAL MINDS | R | CBS | 6710 | 4.3 | 7 |
| 19 | BIG BROTHER 12-SUN | CBS | 6663 | 3.9 | 6 | |
| 20 | MENTALIST, THE | R | CBS | 6584 | 4.5 | 8 |
| 21 | MINUTE TO WIN IT-WED | NBC | 6504 | 4.0 | 7 | |
| 22 | LAW AND ORDER:SVU | R | NBC | 6487 | 4.4 | 8 |
| 23 | SIMPSONS | R | FOX | 6476 | 3.9 | 6 |
| 24 | MINUTE TO WIN IT-TUE | NBC | 6263 | 3.9 | 7 | |
| 25 | FLASHPOINT | CBS | 6214 | 4.0 | 8 |
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Nielsen TV Ratings: ©2010 The Nielsen Company. All Rights Reserved. All numbers are live viewing plus same day DVR viewing.