Ratings Watch: ‘The Big Bang Theory’, ‘Empire’ Beat Football in Premiere Week After DVR/VOD Lift

Americans love football, but they love Sheldon Cooper and Cookie Lyon even more.

After three days of DVR and VOD usage is included, CBS’ The Big Bang Theory has jumped ahead of NBC’s Sunday Night Football as the most-watched telecast on TV during premiere week. The Big Bang Theory added 4.3 million viewers to its total, leaping 24% to 22.5 million viewers for the week ending September 27–ahead of Sunday Night Football‘s 22.1 million.

In the adults 18-49 demographic, Fox’s Empire averaged an 8.7 rating in the Live+3 ranker, jumping 30% from its initial rating and leaping ahead of Sunday Night Football (8.2 rating).

Empire and NBC’s Blindspot added the most viewers in Live+3 ratings (4.6 million), followed by The Big Bang Theory (4.3 million), ABC’s Quantico (4 million), ABC’s How to Get Away with Murder (3.9 million), ABC’s Scandal (3.8 million), CBS’ Blue Bloods (3.7 million), ABC’s Modern Family (3.6 million), CBS’ Limitless (3.5 million), AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead (3.4 million), CBS’ NCIS (3.3 million), ABC’s Castle (3.1 million), CBS’ Scorpion (3.1 million) and CBS’ NCIS: New Orleans (3 million).

Here are the top 25 shows (including Live+3 DVR and VOD data) for the week of September 21 to 27.