ABC scores first with NBA Finals

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ABCOverall: During the week of 6/18/12, ABC delivered a strong first-place finish for the 2nd week in a row, leading its nearest competition by 14% in Total Viewers (CBS) and by 47% in Adults 18-49 (Fox).  ABC aired 5 of the Top 10 TV programs in Adults 18-49 (the most for any net), including the Top 2 shows with the 2012 NBA Finals: NBA Finals on ABC-GM 5 – #1, NBA Finals on ABC-GM4 – #2, Kia NBA Countdown-GM5 – #5, The Bachelorette – #8 and Kia NBA Countdown-GM4 – #10. In addition, the Net claimed 3 of the Top 10 most-watched TV shows overall with the 2012 NBA Finals Game 5 and Game 4 finishing #1 and #2, respectively and The Bachelorette finishing #10. In addition, The Bachelorette qualified as the week’s highest-rated television series across all key Women (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54). Building year to year for the 2nd week running, ABC shot up over the same week last year by 36% in Total Viewers and by 69% in Adults 18-49.


Monday: With The Bachelorette and the debut of The Glass House, ABC finished as the 2nd-most-watched network overall to NBC (America’s Got Talent/American Ninja Warrior), while topping Fox’s unscripted originals by 11% (Hell’s Kitchen/MasterChef).  The Net ranked # 1 on the night across all key Women demographics (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54).  Building its Adult 18-49 audience for the 3rd week in a row, ABC marked its top-rated summertime Monday (Memorial Day- Labor Day) since the beginning of last August – since 8/8/11. At 8pm, ABC’s The Bachelorette took second in its 2-hour time with Total Viewers and moved up to #1 with Adults 18-34 for the first time this season.  In addition, for the 5th week running, the ABC unscripted series won its time period across all key Women demos (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54).  Further, The Bachelorette registered as Monday’s #1 TV series for the 5th consecutive week among its core Women 18-34 audience.  Despite facing increased competition in the time period this week from NBC, The Bachelorette retained 100% of its Adult 18-49 audience week to week.  In fact on each of the last 2 weeks, the show has delivered ABC’s top summertime young adult numbers in the time slot since the beginning of last August – since 8/1/11.  During the 10 o’clock hour, ABC’s debut of The Glass House ranked #1 with Women 18-49.  ABC’s The Glass House boosted its time period week to week by 50% in Adults 18-49, hitting a summer-high for the Network in the hour.

Tuesday: Driven by coverage of the 2012 NBA Finals between Miami and Oklahoma City, ABC dominated Tuesday night for the 2nd week in a row, outrunning its closest competitor by 4.6 million viewers (CBS) and beating its combined network competition in Adults 18-49 (CBS, NBC and Fox combined). In Adults 18-49, ABC scored its top-rated Tuesday in 2 years – since 6/15/10.  Airing around the NBA Finals in various time periods across the country, Jimmy Kimmel Live Game Night continued to generate broad exposure for the ABC late-night show in prime. JKL Game Night 4 surged by 94% in Total Viewers and by 120% in Adults 18-49 over the show’s 2011-12 season averages in late night.  Jimmy Kimmel Live Game Night grew week to week in both viewers (+6%) and young adults (+10%), putting up the highest numbers yet for the specials this year.  With the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Miami Heat, ABC’s 2012 NBA Finals Game 4 towered over primetime to stand as Tuesday’s dominant #1 TV program with Total Viewers and across each of the key Adult demographics. The Heat defeated the Thunder by a score of 104-98 to lead the best-of-seven series 3-1.

Wednesday: With back-to-back-to-back comedy encores leading into an original Duets, ABC grew over the prior week by 8% in Total Viewers and by 9% in Adults 18-49 to deliver its best performance on the night this summer to date. In the 8 o’clock hour, ABC’s encore airings of The Middle and Suburgatory outdelivered Part 1 of NBC’s Justin Bieber: All Around the World by 20% in Total Viewers and by 11% in Adults 18-49. A repeat of ABC’s Modern Family was Wednesday’s #1 scripted show on the major networks in Adults 18-49. The ABC sitcom delivered its best performance this summer in both viewers and young adults. From 9:30-11pm, ABC’s Duets built week to week by 5% in Total Viewers and by 9% in Adults 18-49. In addition, the new ABC unscripted show doubled its Teen 12-17 delivery to match a best-since-premiere number.

Thursday: Featuring coverage of the series-clinching game for the 2012 NBA Finals between Miami and Oklahoma City, ABC outdrew its closest competitor by 6.0 million viewers (CBS) and beat its combined network competition for its 4th straight telecast with the series among Adults 18-49 (+41% over CBS, NBC and Fox combined). The Network won all five nights with its 2012 NBA Finals coverage among viewers and all key adult demographics (AD18-34/AD18-49/AD25-54). In viewers and young adults, ABC marked its strongest Thursday in 2 years – since 6/17/10 with Game 7 of the 2010 Lakers-Celtics NBA Finals.  Airing around the NBA Finals in various time periods across the country during its 5-night run, Jimmy Kimmel Live Game Night specials drew broad exposure for the ABC late-night talker in primetime. On average, JKL Game Night wrapped with a 72% increase in Viewers and a 100% gain in Adults 18-49 over the show’s 2011-12 season averages in late night.  As the Miami Heat defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder to win the 2012 NBA Finals, ABC’s broadcast of Game 5 shot to the top of Thursday’s primetime to stand as the evening’s dominant #1 TV program with Total Viewers and across each of the key Adult demographics (AD18-34/AD18-49/AD25-54). In fact, the 2012 NBA Finals registered as the #1 TV program of the night on all 5 telecasts. On average, ABC’s 2012 NBA Finals built over the first five games of last year’s high-rated Miami-Dallas matchup by 5% in Total Viewers and by 8% in Adults 18-49.  In fact among Adults 18-49, ABC’s Game 5 of the 2012 NBA Finals tied as TV’s top-rated telecast since February –  since the Net’s Academy Awards broadcast on 2/26/12. In Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, the 2012 NBA Finals scored the series’ biggest 5-game averages in 8 years (since 2004) and the 2nd-highest-ever on ABC (since beginning carriage in 2003).

Friday: Boosted by a 2-hour 20/20, ABC ranked #1 on Friday night versus its network rivals in Adults 18-49 and Adults 25-54, topping runner-up NBC (with a 2-hour Dateline) by 10% and 15%, respectively.  During the 8 o’clock hour, ABC’s replay Shark Tank led the pack in Adults 18-49, beating CBS’ repeat Undercover Boss by 22% and nearly tripling NBC’s encores of Whitney and Community  (+175%).  From 9-11pm, ABC’s 20/20 drew the Net’s biggest audience in the time period with regular programming in 7 weeks – since 5/4/12.  For the first time since former Presidential candidate John Edwards’ trial, Rielle Hunter, his former mistress and the mother of his four-year-old child, broke her silence and spoke exclusively to ABC News’ Chris Cuomo on 20/20.

(source: ABC)