"Criminal Minds" and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" Return with Increases Over Season Finales

            CBS won premiere Wednesday in viewers for the fifth time in six years, giving the Network its second consecutive nightly win, as SURVIVOR won its time period in viewers and adults 25-54 while returning CRIMINAL MINDS and CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION notched improvements over their May finales, according to Nielsen preliminary live plus same day ratings for Sept. 25.

SURVIVOR was first in viewers (9.41m) and adults 25-54 (3.3/09) and tied for second in adults 18-49 (2.3/07, with ABC and just -0.1 behind FOX).

At 9:00 PM, the ninth season premiere of CRIMINAL MINDS was  second in viewers (11.29m, -0.16m behind ABC's "Modern Family"), adults 25-54 (3.7/09) and adults 18-49 (2.8/08). CRIMINAL MINDS outperformed last May’s season finale in viewers (from 11.10m, +3%), adults 25-54 from 3.5/9, +6%) and matched in adults 18-49.  CRIMINAL MINDS topped "The X-Factor" in viewers, adults 18-49 and adults 25-54 in the common hour.

At 10:00 PM, CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGTION's 14th season premiere was second in viewers (8.96m) and adults 25-54 (2.8/07).  CSI outperformed last May’s season finale in adults 18-49 (from 2.0/06, +5%).

For the night, CBS was first in viewers (9.89m), second in adults 25-54 (3.2/08) and posted a 2.4/07 in adults 18-49.  

Editor's Note: Television viewing on platforms such as DVR, video-on-demand and online streaming continues to grow at a fast pace.  Last season during premiere week, Live+7 CBS audiences grew 20% over Live+SD in total viewers, up from 17%  in 2012.  In A18-49, Live+7 levels grew 29% from Live+SD, up from 23% one year ago.  Additionally, many CBS shows experienced as much as a 50% increase in total viewers once full 30-day multi-platform audiences were accounted for.  In an effort to quantify how much non-linear viewing adds to Live+SD audiences, CBS Research will provide estimates for series which will include DVR playback as well as multi-platform viewership.

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Press Contacts:             Ed Harrison            818-655-1584       ed.harrison@cbs.com

                                     David Pepose         212-975-1929       david.pepose@cbs.com