'Apprentice' beats ABC-CBS-FOX-UPN-WB competiton combined among adults 18-34 and scores 71 perect margin of victory in 18-49.

Reality Reel Media
04.10.04

Last night "The Apprentice" scored higher ratings than any other program on television so far this week in the key demographic of adults 18-49 and paced NBC to its 13th Thursday demo victory in 14 weeks, according to preliminary "fast affiliate-based" in-home viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research.

"The Apprentice" (10.6 rating, 27 share in adults 18-49, 21.8 million viewers overall) from 9-9:59 p.m. ET won its time period by every key measure and delivered its highest rating ever in head-to-head competition with an episode of "CSI" (in rebroadcast last night). It was the second-highest-rated "Apprentice" overall (the only higher-rated episode aired on a night when "CSI" was pre-empted by basketball).

Last night's ratings performance puts "The Apprentice" solidly on track to emerge as the #1-rated program of the week in adults 18-49, having posted a higher rating than Tuesday's "American Idol" (10.1), Wednesday's "American Idol" (8.9), Monday's NCAA Basketball Championship (6.3), last night's "Survivor: All-Stars" (7.7) and all other network telecasts so far this week.

"The Apprentice" beat the CBS-ABC-Fox-UPN-WB competition combined among adults 18-34, pending updates. Among adults 18-49, its margin of victory over second place was a dominant 71 percent (10.6 vs. a 6.2 for CBS' "CSI"). The 10.6 rating in 18-49 marks a 68 percent increase versus NBC's season average for the time period prior to "The Apprentice."

It's been a big week for "Apprentice" star Donald Trump, who hosted last weekend's "Saturday Night Live" (3.9/16 in 18-49, 8.6 million viewers overall) and helped that show match its best adult 18-49 rating since Feb. 21 and attract "SNL's" largest overall audience since Feb. 7. Trump was also a guest on "The Tonight Show starring Jay Leno" on Wednesday of this week and helped propel that show to a 5.8 rating, 14 share in metered-market households, the highest Wednesday "overnight" rating for "Tonight" since Feb. 18, seven weeks ago.

From 9:59-11 p.m. ET last night, "ER" (9.3/25 in 18-49) 19.9 million viewers overall) beat its competition combined in every key ratings demographic.