HispanicBusiness

Summer is officially over. What a relief. Moaning and groaning, the kids have gone back to school, and the National Football League has stormed back to claim the top television ratings among U.S. Hispanic viewers watching English-language programs.

NBC, powered by its football season kickoffs, earned the three highest ratings for the week of September 1-7. SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL led with a 5.5 rating, hooking the eyeballs of more than one million Hispanic viewers, according to numbers released by the Nielsen Media Group. FOX network also grabbed a share of the fans with it post-game wrap up show THE OT, coming in as number five.

While the ratings for Spanish-language programs were dominated night after night by telenovelas, or soap operas, the top-rate English language programs among Hispanics were decidedly more macho, or at least filled with flesh-pounding, heart stopping action. Rounding out the list of highest-rated programs were The CW's perennial favorite, FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN and Fox's AMERICA FIGHTS BACK, along with COPS 2, now in its 20th season.

Among Spanish-language shows, Univision and its powerful lineup of soap operas continued to dominate the ratings. AL DIABLO CON GUAPOS (To the Devil with the Beautiful) attracted 5.4 million Hispanic viewers to lead all other programs. In the number 2 spot was FUEGO EN LA SANGRE (Fire in the Blood) with 5.0 million watching. These soaps claim an extremely loyal audience, who follow the twisting plots of plot of love, deceit, and drama in primetime television five night a week, awaiting a dramatic ending, unlike U.S. soaps that run indefinitely.

The following lists are TV ratings based on Hispanic viewership. Nielsen's ratings include viewers who watched the program while it aired and those who viewed the show via digital video recorder within 24 hours of its airing. Nielsen says that the Hispanic TV audience represents more than 11.63 million television households in the United States. The rating is the percentage of households watching a TV program out of the potential audience of 11.63 million households.

Top 10 English-language shows and ratings (September 1-7, 2008)
1. NBC Sunday Night Football – Sunday (NBC) 5.5
2. NBC NFL Thursday Special – Thursday (NBC) 4.2
3. Sunday Night NFL Pre-Kick – Sunday (NBC) 4.0
4. FAMILY GUY – Sunday (NBC) 3.4
5. The OT – Sunday (NBC) 3.3
6. America's Got Talent – Tuesday (NBC) 3.2
6. America Fights Back – Saturday (Fox) 3.2
8. COPS 2 – Saturday (Fox) 3.1
9. Football Night America, part 3 – Sunday (NBC) 3.3.0
10. Family Guy – Sunday (Fox) 2.9
10. Friday Night Smackdown – Friday (CW) 2.9
10. Prison Break – Monday (Fox) 2.9

Top 10 Spanish-language shows and their ratings (September 1-7, 2008)
1. Al Diablo con Guapos – Five-Night Avg. (Univision) 22.6
2. Fuego En La Sangre – Five-Night Avg. (Univision) 21.7
3. Don Francisco Presenta – Wednesday (Univision) 16.3
4. Aqui Y Ahora – Tuesday (Univision) 16.1
5. Querida Enemiga – Five-Night Avg. (Univision) 15.8
6. Rosa De Guadalupe – Thursday-Friday – Wednesday (Univision) 15.1
7. Sabado Gigante – Saturday (Univision) 14.2
8. Cristina – Monday (Univision) 14.1
9. El Show de los Suenos – Sunday (Univision)13.4
10. Familia P. Luche – Sunday (Univision) 8.8