With an average of a 4.8 rating/11 share in adults 18-49 and 14.6 million viewers overall from 8 to 11 p.m., NBC's awards telecast easily bested the press conference-style 2008 show necessitated by a writers strike and were solid, Variety reported.

Even so, the numbers represented the lowest Nielsen ratings for a regular Golden Globes ceremony since NBC began airing it in 1996.

CBS easily won the Sunday night viewership battle with the conclusion of the NFL playoff game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and San Diego Chargers, the trade journal said. The game garnered roughly a 12 rating in adults 18-49 and more than 33 million viewers overall. The game led into "60 Minutes" aired in a special 8 p.m. time slot.

Variety said ABC's "Desperate Housewives," with a 5.2 rating/12 share in the 18-49 demographic, bested the Golden Globes head-to-head in that age group, but those numbers still represented a ratings low-water mark for the long-running series.