In the second week, the preliminary overnight ratings fell 12 percent.

But the preliminary ratings put Fox well ahead of the other networks among total viewers and 18-to-49-year-olds.

Preliminary ratings were 10.3, up from 9.4 last year.

The ceremony was watched by 11.6 million viewers and received a 4.3 preliminary rating in the 18-49 demographic.

The regional semifinal and final rounds produced a 6.8 preliminary national rating, up 10 percent from last year.

In the first playoff telecast Sunday, the preliminary overnight rating came to a 2.4.

ABC generated a preliminary overnight rating of 41.2 with a 61 share.

Although the preliminary ratings are down by as much as 36 percent from those of the pre-strike games, many more people watched than expected.

The preliminary rating from major television markets produced only a 14, the lowest number of the 17 days of broadcasting.

Preliminary ratings show that "Survivor" was watched in about 15.1 million of the country's 100.8 million television households this week.