Overall: During the week of the Labor Day holiday (w/o 9/6/10), ABC was up from the same week last year in both Total Viewers (+12%) and Adults 18-49 (+8%). ABC claimed 3 of the week’s Top 20 entertainment series among Adults 18-49: Wipeout-TUES – #6, Wipeout SP-9/7 – #17 and Bachelor Pad SP-9/6 – #20. Consistently topping year-ago results, the Net posted increases over the same week last year for the 16th time in 17 weeks among Adults 18-49 (15 of 17 weeks in Total Viewers).
Monday: ABC’s Labor Day lineup of Bachelor Pad and Dating in the Dark ranked #1 on Monday among the major networks in Adults 18-49. In addition, ABC was #1 on Monday across all key Women demographics (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54), taking the top spot across each of the key Women demos for the 16th Monday in a row. ABC improved on the year-ago Labor Day Monday (9/07/09) by 17% in Total Viewers and by 100% in Adults 18-49. The season’s penultimate telecast of ABC’s Bachelor Pad led its 2-hour time period in Adults 18-49. In addition, the freshman program won its time-slot and stood as Monday’s #1 program across each of the key Women demos: W18-34/W18-49/W25-54. Bachelor Pad led its time period for the 5th week in a row among Women 18-49 and Women 25-54. Bachelor Pad matched a series high among Adults 18-34, while hitting a series-high among Women 18-34 for the consecutive 2nd week. ABC’s Dating in the Dark ranked #1 against its CBS and NBC competition in the 10pm hour among Women 18-34 and Women 18-49. Dating in the Dark was up over the Net’s year-ago performance in the hour by 9% in Adults 18-49.
Tuesday: ABC ranked #2 on Tuesday in Adults 18-49, topping Fox by 33% and CBS by 54%. Improving on the night for the 9th straight week, ABC grew solidly over the year-ago Tuesday (9/8/09) in Total Viewers (+36%) and Adults 18-49 (+25%). The Net has been up year to year on Tuesday evening on 14 of 15 the last weeks. ABC’s Wipeout won the 8-9 pm hour among Adults 18-49 for the 3rd telecast in a row. Wipeout saw week-to-week increases of 1.3 million viewers and 17% in Adults 18-49. Wipeout finished as Tuesday’s # TV show among Adults 18-49, behind only NBC’s America’s Got Talent. A repeat telecast of ABC’s Wipeout delivered the Net’s strongest performance in the 9 o’clock hour in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49 in 6 weeks – since 7/27/10. Wipeout turned in its second-best numbers ever for a repeat telecast in 18-34.
Wednesday: Gaining momentum heading into the new season, ABC posted its best Wednesday since May with its summer comedy repeats on the night among Adults 18-49 – since 5/19/10.
Thursday: Up against the record-setting NFL regular-season opener (Minnesota Vikings-New Orleans Saints) on NBC, ABC still delivered solid double-digit increases from the year-ago night (9/10/09) in Total Viewers (+26%) and Adults 18-49 (+18%). In fact, the Net posted its 14th straight Thursday of year-to-year primetime improvement. Producing strong year-to-year time-period improvement throughout its freshman season, Rookie Blue boosted its hour for ABC by huge margins over last year. On average during its run, Rookie Blue more than doubled its Thursday 9 o’clock time slot over the same week’s last summer in Total Viewers (+134% ) and by 125% in Adults 18-49 (+125%). Rookie Blue finished out its freshman season as the summer’s #1 new scripted series among Adults 18-49.
Friday: ABC News’ 20/20: A Barbara Walters Special built sharply on its lead-in at 10pm to finish #1 in its hour among key Adults (AD18-49/AD25-54). The ABC newsmagazine qualified as the #1 regular television show in its time slot with Adults 18-49 for the 9th time in 10 weeks. In addition, 20/20 ranked as Friday’s top newsmagazine, outdelivering NBC News’ 2-hour Dateline (9-10pm) by solid margins in Total Viewers (+8%), Adults 18-49 (+8%) and Adults 25-54 (+6%). The program featured a Barbara Walters report on Kaylee Halko and Lindsay Ratcliffe, two vibrant young girls who suffer from a rapid aging disease called progeria, a fatal condition that currently affects 68 known children in the world. The disease causes children to age at 10 times the normal rate. 20/20: A Barbara Walters Special stood as Friday’s highest-rated program on the major nets among Adults 18-49 and Adults 25-54. Hitting a 7-week high, the ABC newsmagazine marked its most-watched telecast since July – since 7/23/10.
Saturday: With coverage of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, ABC led Saturday among the major nets, outpacing runner-up Fox by 1.5 million viewers and by 25% in Adults 18-49.
(source: ABC)
