Photo: Getty Images
HOLLYWOOD (CNS) - CBS' two-hour Adele concert special drew the largest audience for an entertainment program in the eight-week-old 2021-22 prime- time television season, following the most-watched edition of ``60 Minutes'' since January, according to live-plus-same-day figures released by Nielsen.
``Adele One Night Only'' averaged 10.33 million viewers, seventh among prime-time broadcast and cable programs airing between Nov. 8 and Sunday, behind three NFL games, ``60 Minutes,'' NBC's 10-minute ``Sunday Night Football'' pre-kickoff show and Fox's six-minute NFL postgame show Sunday.
The season's previously most-watched entertainment program was the Sept. 20 season premiere of the CBS action drama ``NCIS,'' which averaged 8.451 million viewers.
``60 Minutes'' averaged 12.554 million viewers, third for the week. The viewership was the most for the CBS News magazine since its Jan. 10 edition, which averaged 14.798 million viewers.
Sunday's ``60 Minutes'' followed a 33-minute runover of CBS' late afternoon NFL coverage in the Eastern and Central time zones where the bulk of the nation's population lives. The runover averaged 24.27 million viewers. The runover is not considered a separate program but is included in the weekly average.
The Jan. 10 edition of ``60 Minutes'' followed a 55-minute runover of its coverage of the wild-card round playoff game between the New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears that averaged 29.946 million viewers.
``Yellowstone'' was the most-watched scripted program for the second consecutive week, with the Paramount Network neo-Western averaging 7.491 million viewers, third among non-NFL programs and 10th overall.
CBS also had the most-watched comedy, ``Young Sheldon''; the most- watched new series, ``FBI International''; and the most-watched program beginning at 10 p.m., ``Blue Bloods.''
``Young Sheldon'' averaged 7.041 million viewers, 14th overall and sixth among non-NFL programs; ``FBI International'' averaged 5.594 million, 22th overall and 13th among non-NFL programs; and ``Blue Bloods,'' 6.103 million viewers, 21st overall and 12th among non-NFL programs.
CBS finished first in the network race for the second time in the season, averaging 6.11 million. NBC was second, averaging 5.65 million. Fox was third, averaging 3.83 million viewers for its 17 hours of programming.
ABC was fourth among the major English-language networks, averaging 3.75 million viewers. The CW averaged 490,000 viewers for its 12 hours of programming.
NBC, CBS and ABC each aired 22 hours of prime-time programming.
NBC's ``Sunday Night Football'' was the most-watched program for the second consecutive week and seventh time in the television season, with the Kansas City Chiefs' 41-14 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders averaging 16.742 million viewers.
NBC's most-watched non-NFL program was the hourlong Tuesday edition of ``The Voice,'' which averaged 6.849 million viewers, 15th for the week and seventh among non-NFL programs.
Fox's most-watched program was ```Thursday Night Football,'' second for the week, averaging 12.916 million viewers for the Miami Dolphins' 22-10 victory over the Baltimore Ravens.
Fox's most-watched non-NFL program was the procedural drama ``9-1-1,'' which averaged 5.008 million viewers, 29th overall and 20th among non-NFL programs.
ABC's most-watched program was the 55th annual CMA Awards, 16th for the week and eighth among non-NFL programs, averaging 6.833 million viewers.
The crime drama ``Walker'' was The CW's most-watched program for the third consecutive week, averaging 870,000 viewers, 124th among broadcast programs. Its overall rank was not available.
The 20 most watched prime-time programs consisted of three NFL games; five NFL pregame shows; one NFL postgame show; ``Adele One Night Only''; ``60 Minutes''; three CBS scripted series programs; four NBC entertainment programs; ``Yellowstone''; and the CMA Awards.
``Monday Night Football'' was the most-watched cable program for the ninth time in nine 2021 regular-season broadcasts, with the Pittsburgh Steelers' 29-27 victory over the Chicago Bears averaging 12.105 million viewers, fourth for the week.
ESPN averaged 2.915 million viewers to be the most-watched cable network for the second consecutive week after three consecutive third-place finishes. Fox News Channel was second for the second consecutive week, averaging 2.368 million. Hallmark Channel rose one spot to third, averaging 1.435 million. MSNBC rose one spot to fourth, averaging 1.12 million viewers.
CNN dropped one spot to 12th, averaging 619,000 viewers. CNN also trailed Paramount Network (897,000), TLC (859,000), TBS (845,000), HGTV (820,000), Discovery (710,000), Food Network (710,000) and TNT (627,000).
The top 20 cable programs consisted of ``Monday Night Football'' and its 13-minute pregame show; ``Thursday Night Football'' on NFL Network; ESPN's coverage of the Mississippi-Texas A&M college football game; 12 Fox News Channel political talk shows -- five broadcasts each of ``Tucker Carlson Tonight'' and ``Hannity'' and two of ``The Ingraham Angle'' -- three episodes of Paramount Network scripted programming -- two of ``Yellowstone'' and the premiere of ``Mayor of Kingstown''; and the Hallmark Channel movie, ``My Christmas Family Tree.''
Univision's coverage of the U.S.-Mexico World Cup qualifier was the most-watched prime-time Spanish-language program, averaging 2.645 million viewers, 68th overall.
Univision was the most-watched Spanish-language network for the 102nd consecutive week and 104th time in 105 weeks, averaging 1.52 million viewers. Telemundo was second, averaging 850,000 viewers, followed by UniMas (490,000), Estrella TV (150,000) and Azteca America (40,000).
ABC's ``World News Tonight with David Muir'' was the most-watched network nightly newscast for the 102nd consecutive week, the 153rd time in 154 weeks and the 205th time in 207 weeks, averaging 8.282 million viewers.
``NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt'' was second, averaging 7.07 million viewers, followed by the ``CBS Evening News with Norah O'Donnell,'' which averaged 5.154 million viewers.
The week's 10 most-watched prime-time programs were NBC's ``Sunday Night Football''; Fox's ``Thursday Night Football''; CBS' ``60 Minutes''; ESPN's ``Monday Night Football''; NBC's 10-minute ``Sunday Night Football'' pre- kickoff show; Fox's six-minute NFL postgame show; ``Adele One Night Only''; the 20-minute third segment of NBC's ``Football Night in America''; Fox's 19-minute ``Thursday Night Football'' pregame show; and ``Yellowstone.''