NBC's The Apprentice achieved a new ratings milestone with last week's twelfth episode broadcast, beating an original episode of CSI among Adults 18-49 in head-to-head competition for the first time.
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According to final ratings figures from Nielsen Media Research, the April 1 Apprentice broadcast drew 20.2 million overall viewers and a 9.8 rating, 24 share in Adults 18-49 demographic. While still trailing CBS's CSI by over six million overall viewers, the performance not only placed Apprentice first in its time period among Adults 18-49, but also among Adults 18-34, Men 18-34, Women 18-34 and Women 18-49.
The broadcast marked the first time this season that a first-run CSI has lost its time period to any competitor in Adults 18-49, although a special January 15 8:30-9:30 PM ET/PT broadcast of Apprentice's second episode topped an original CSI among Adults 18-49 in the 9-9:30 PM half-hour. The last time NBC defeated an original CSI in this slot with all regular programming was February 7, 2002.
The Apprentice leaped 46 percent versus NBC's 18-49 results with first-run comedies on the same night last year (9.8 vs. 6.7). Versus NBC's pre-Apprentice average in the time period this season, last night's episode yielded a 56 percent gain (9.8 vs. 6.3).