Ratings: ‘The Biggest Loser’ has great start; football lifts ‘The Simpsons’

After checking out the full ratings for Sunday night, we can definitely say one thing about NBC: they made the right move in giving “The Biggest Loser” the fall off, at least based on how many more people are interested in the show now.

For its two-hour season premiere, the weight-loss competition ended up posting a rather impressive 2.9 rating in the 18-49 demographic, which was a solid improvement of 21% from where it premiered at this time early last year. What are the reasons for this major gain? We really just attribute it to a couple of factors.

1. The wait – This is the reason why “American Idol” only airs once a season: people miss a show a little bit more once it has been gone for a little while, and this also gives the show an opportunity to come up with some fresh ideas.

2. Jillian Michaels – She was one of the show’s most-popular trainers, and her return to the show now is of course bringing along with it plenty of attention.

The only shows that were arguably bigger winners than “The Biggest Loser” aired on Fox, as NFL football led to all of its Animation Domination block rising. “The Simpsons” led the way with a 4.4, which makes since considering that it aired just minutes after the Seattle Seahawks defeated the Washington Redskins.

Elsewhere, is there some trouble for “Revenge” on the horizon? It’s possible, as the drama scored only a 2.3 rating for its new episode after several weeks off of the air.

What did you watch Sunday, and are you happy that “The Biggest Loser” is once again on top? If you want to read our full review of the “Biggest Loser” premiere, be sure to head on over to the link here.

Photo: NBC