The two-hour finale of NBC's "America's Got Talent" last Tuesday was the most-watched program on broadcast television in nearly three months with 13.9 million viewers, 16% more than last year's finale, according to figures released Tuesday by Nielsen Media Research.

The second season of "America's Got Talent" was the summer's most-watched series, averaging 11.4 million viewers a week, 3% more than a year ago. It was television's most-watched show eight times in the last 12 weeks.

The finale drew broadcast television's largest audience since May 29, when 17.3 million watched the season finale of the Fox Broadcasting medical drama "House."

Despite its success and NBC's need for highly watched programming as it attempts to move out of fourth place in the ratings, NBC has no plans to air "America's Got Talent" during television's official season, and it will remain a summer series, a network official said.

"America's Got Talent" helped lead to NBC's 1-2-3 sweep of the top prime-time programs among viewers ages 18 to49 between Aug. 20 and Sunday, enabling NBC to end Fox's 28-week winning streak among the group targeted by both networks and ABC and coveted by advertisers.