Grammys Deliver for CBS

NEW YORK: The 51st Annual Grammy Awards brought in 19 million viewers to CBS on Sunday, propelling the network to the number one spot in several key demos, including households, total viewers and adults 18 to 49.

The music awards ceremony featured performances by the likes of U2, Paul McCartney, Coldplay, Stevie Wonder, Jonas Brothers, Jay-Z, Al Green, Justin Timberlake and Miley Cyrus, among others. Between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. the Grammys gave CBS a first-place position in households, viewers, adults 25-54, adults 18-49, adults 18-34 and teens. Compared to last year’s awards, the event was up 9-percent in households and 14 percent in adults 18-49. For the week, meanwhile, the Grammys was the third highest-rated broadcast after the Tuesday and Wednesday editions of American Idol, which each delivered more than 26 million viewers.

In the season to date, Nielsen Media data indicates that CBS is averaging 11.8 million viewers, a 6-percent gain on the previous year, followed by FOX with 8.95 million, ABC with 8.9 million and NBC with 8.6 million.