Despite the fact that for the second week in a row CBS' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation drew over 30 million viewers with a performance that's expected to once again place it as the week's top ranked program, NBC's The Apprentice still managed to draw near series-high Adults 18-49 ratings and achieve the network's best regular programming performance in the time period since September 2002.
ADVERTISEMENT
According to updated in-home viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research, airing from 9-9:59 PM ET/PT, the seventh episode of Apprentice drew 19.8 million overall viewers and a 9.9 rating, 23 share in the Adults 18-49 demographic -- numbers that were within a tenth of a rating point of the series' highest Adults 18-49 rating ever.
Despite losing to CSI in overall viewers, households, the Adults 18-49 and Adults 24-54 demographics, The Apprentice did defeat the CBS drama among Adults 18-34. The performance was 46% above NBC's previous 6.8 Adults 18-49 time period average for the season and helped NBC matched the highest Thursday nightlong Adults 18-49 rating for any network this season