Grease was the word last night with young women and teenage girls, as the series premiere of Grease: You're the One That I Want on NBC was watched by an average of 11.6 million viewers.
ADVERTISEMENT
The debut of the new reality talent competition series that will see America cast the leads for a new Broadway production of the hit musical scored NBC's highest non-sports ratings in the Adults 18-49 demographic during the 8PM ET/PT to 9:30PM ET/PT time period since January 11, 2004, according to Nielsen's preliminary fast affiliate-based "live plus same day" ratings figures. Among total viewers, Grease delivered NBC's top non-sports result in the time period with series programming since February 8, 2004.
In its first half-hour, Grease scored a 4.7/12 rating/share among Women 18-34 and a 4.4/12 rating/share among Females 12-17, making it the highest rated show in those demographics during that time period, according Nielsen's preliminary fast national ratings figures. Grease scored its best ratings with those demographics during its second half-hour, when its Women 18-34 (5.4/13 rating/share) and Females 12-17 (5.2/14 rating/share) numbers ranked it first in the demographics during the 8:300-9PM ET/PT time period.
While ABC's Desperate Housewives ratings mega-hit moved in and won Grease's final 9-9:30PM ET/PT time period among Women 18-49, Women 18-34, and Women 25-54, the NBC reality series still finished as the highest rated show in the Females 12-17 demographic during its last half-hour with a 4.8/13 rating/share.
Throughout its entire broadcast, Grease's premiere averaged a 4.3/10 rating/share in the Adults 18-49 demographic.
ADVERTISEMENT
Although NBC finished third in the entire night's Adults 18-49 demographic (an enormous overrun of Fox's late afternoon NFL playoff game broadcast helped power the network to first place), the Deal or no Deal, Grease, and The Apprentice: Los Angeles lineup that marked NBC's first post-Sunday Night Football Sunday of the season represented delivered a substantial improvement over NBC's previous non-football Sunday night programming. Compared to the same Sunday in 2005, NBC's Sunday night numbers were up 46% in the Adults 18-49 demographic.
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio