NBC’s Vocal Power Pulls Through Last Week

NEW YORK (AP) — “Peter Pan Live!” turned out to be a disappointment, but NBC had enough vocal power to pull through for a weekly win in the television ratings.

The network won the Nielsen company’s count even though “Peter Pan Live!” with 9.2 million viewers, had half the audience that “The Sound of Music” had for NBC last year. Still, with a live musical on Thursday night, NBC did better on that night than it normally does.

Three other programs filled with song — two episodes of “The Voice” and the annual “Christmas at Rockefeller Center” special — scored stronger ratings for the network.

As it does most weeks in the fall, NBC’s coverage of Sunday night football proved the most-watched program in prime time.

The CW network, which has seen its ratings increase this season behind “The Flash” and “Jane the Virgin,” had its strongest week in two months last week.

NBC won with a primetime average of 8.7 million viewers. CBS was second with 7.2 million, ABC had 6.5 million, Fox had 5.8 million, Univision had 3 million, the CW had 2 million, ION Television had 1.3 million and Telemundo had 1.2 million.

ESPN was the week’s most popular cable network, averaging 2.73 million viewers in prime time. ABC Family had 2.61 million, Hallmark had 2.19 million, TNT had 1.92 million and USA had 1.86 million.

NBC’s “Nightly News” topped the evening newscasts with an average of 9.6 million viewers. ABC’s “World News” was second with 8.8 million and the “CBS Evening News” had 7.5 million viewers.

The Top 20

Primetime viewership numbers compiled by Nielsen for Dec. 1-7. Listings include the week’s ranking and viewership.

1. NFL Football: New England vs. San Diego, NBC, 21.15 million.

2. “Sunday Night NFL Pre-Kick,” NBC, 15.14 million.

3. “The OT,” Fox, 14.75 million.

4. NFL Football: Miami vs. N.Y. Jets, ESPN, 11.75 million.

5. “NCIS,” CBS, 11.58 million.

6. “Football Night in America, Part 3,” NBC, 11.51 million.

7. “60 Minutes,” CBS, 11.48 million.

8. “The Voice” (Monday), NBC, 11.28 million.

9. “The Voice” (Tuesday), NBC, 11.23 million.

10. “NCIS: New Orleans,” CBS, 10.62 million.

11. College Football: Florida St. vs. Georgia Tech, ABC, 10.15 million.

12. “The Big Bang Theory,” CBS, 9.64 million.

13. “Christmas at Rockefeller Center,” NBC, 9.52 million.

14. “Peter Pan Live!” NBC, 9.21 million.

15. NFL Football: Dallas vs. Chicago, NFL Network, 9.11 million.

16. “I Love Lucy Christmas Special,” CBS, 9.06 million.

17. “Modern Family,” ABC, 9.02 million.

18. “CMA Country Christmas,” ABC, 8.9 million.

19. “Survivor,” CBS, 8.71 million.

20. “The Mentalist,” CBS, 8.7 million.