TV Ratings: Packers and Bears Give NBC a Merry Christmas

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With little else to occupy TV audiences on Christmas night, NBC's festive outing of Sunday Night Football gave the network an easy win.

Fast affiliate ratings give the network a 5.5 among adults 18-49 and an audience of 17.6 million.

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The game itself, another Green Bay Packers win, was up more than a whole point from the previous Sunday with a 6.8 rating in the key demo.

There was little activity elsewhere.

ABC got a boost from basketball overage, averaging a 1.7 rating among adults 18-49 and an audience of 4.8 million. The Bulls-Lakers game was followed by the 1966 and 2000 versions of How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

60 Minutes and a block of repeats gave CBS third for the night, with a 0.8 showing among 18-49-ers and 5.4 million viewers, while FOX reruns pulled just a 0.7 rating in the demo and an audience of 1.8 million.

Sunday, Dec. 25, Preliminary Overnight Ratings:

7 p.m.
ABC: NBA overrun (8.5 million viewers, 3.3 rating among adults 18-49)
NBC: Football Night in America (9.05 million, 2.5)
CBS: 60 Minutes  (6.4 million, 0.9)
Fox: Bob's Burgers (R) (1.1 million, 0.3)

7:30 p.m.
Fox: The Cleveland Show (R) (1.3 million, 0.5)

8 p.m.
NBC: Football Night in America (16.7 million, 5.2)
ABC: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (3.7 million, 1.4)
Fox: The Simpsons (R) (1.96 million, 0.8)
CBS: CSI (R) (5.2 million, 0.7)

8:30 p.m.
NBC: Sunday Night Football - Bears at Packers (21.3 million, 6.6)
Fox: The Cleveland Show (R) (2.0 million, 0.8)

9 p.m.
NBC: Sunday Night Football - Bears at Packers (21.8 million, 6.8)
ABC: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (3.7 million, 1.4)
Fox: Family Guy (R) (2.3 million, 1.0)
CBS: The Good Wife (R) (4.2 million, 0.6)

9:30 p.m.
Fox: American Dad (R) (2.2 million, 1.0)

10 p.m.
NBC: Sunday Night Football - Bears at Packers (20.7 million, 6.9)
ABC: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (3.7 million, 1.2)
CBS: CSI: Miami (R) 5.7 million, 0.9)