Veteran CBS Dramas Outdraw Football In Ratings

LOS ANGELES (AP) – A veteran pair of CBS series proved more enticing to viewers than an unsuspenseful Steelers-Bengals football game.

“NCIS” and “The Big Bang Theory” topped the Nielsen ratings last week, pushing the typically strong “NBC Sunday Night Football” into third place.

NBC played runner-up to CBS after it had triumphed the previous week with top-rated NFL football and a live broadcast of “The Sound of Music.” A big early lead by Pittsburgh in its 30-20 victory over Cincinnati in their Sunday matchup didn’t help.

What ABC touted as the “winter finale” of “Scandal” was a winner. It jumped by more than a third in total viewers and adults 18 to 49 compared to last year, and was among the week’s most popular shows with those young adult viewers.