During the week of 5/20/13, ABC was the most-watched TV network overall, and for the 2nd week in a row ranked #1 in Adults 18-49 (tie) and Adults 25-54. In addition, ABC was the top-rated net with Women 18-49 for the 4th time in 5 weeks. ABC claimed the Top 2 most watched shows for the week with the Monday and Tuesday finales of Dancing, and the #1 program in Adults 18-49 with Modern Family. ABC delivered 3 of the Top 10 shows in Adults 18-49: Modern Family – #1, DWTS: The Results Show – #8 and DWTS – #9. In addition, the Net aired 4 of the Top 15 most-watched shows overall: DWTS: The Results Show – # 1, DWTS – #2, Modern Family – #6 and The Middle – #15 (most-watched season finale ever).
Monday: With the Dancing Final Four performance show and a special preview of Motive (prior to its debut this Thursday at 9pm), ABC was Monday’s most-watched television network for the 5th consecutive week (topping all 4 Mondays of the May Sweep), outdrawing runner-up NBC by 3.1 million viewers. DWTS was Monday’s most-watched TV show on each of its final 4 telecasts this season and finished as last night’s #2 series in Adults 18-49. The Net took second in Adults 18-49, finishing 11% ahead of CBS with season finales of Rules of Engagement and Hawaii Five-0. Jumping week to week in viewers (+13%) and young adults (+30%) to its 2nd-strongest numbers this season (best since season premiere 9 weeks ago on 3/18/13), ABC’s Monday finale of Dancing with the Stars widened its lead over NBC’s The Voice to another season-best 4.2 million viewers and once again narrowed the gap in Adults 18-49. While the ABC unscripted series grew its numbers, the NBC show continued its decline. Earning strong sampling ahead of its Thursday premiere, ABC’s special preview of Motive drew an average of 6.8 million viewers, topping NBC’s Revolution by nearly 1.0 million viewers and taking second to CBS’ season closer of Hawaii Five-0.
Tuesday: Boosted by the 16th season finale of Dancing with the Stars, ABC was the most-watched TV network on the final Tuesday of the season and finished in a virtual tie for in Adults 18-49 (pacing within 1-tenth of first place). The Net also ranked #1 on the night in Adults 25-54 and key Women (W18-49/W25-54). Growing the 8 o’clock hour week to week in viewers (+7%) and young adults (+9%), The Bachelor’s Funniest Moments special drew ABC’s biggest audience in the slot in 4 weeks and delivered a 6-week high in Adults 18-49 – since 4/23/13 and 4/9/13, respectively. Leaping over its lead-in at 9pm and building from its first to second hour, ABC’s grand finale of Dancing with the Stars won its 2-hour time period in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49. Dancing was far and away Tuesday’s most-watched TV show, outdrawing The Voice (9-10pm) by a season-best 5.0 million viewers. The Voice hit another Tuesday low against Dancing in viewers and young adults. Kellie Pickler was crowned champion of Season 16 and awarded the coveted mirror ball trophy. Soaring to the top of its final hour from 10-11pm, Dancing led its nearest competition by 9.1 million viewers (CBS) and outdelivered NBC by 71% in Adults 18-49 with the season finale of Grimm. Spiking week to week by 28% in Total Viewers and by 50% in Adults 18-49, DWTS: The Results Show closed out with seasons highs on the night. In addition, the show delivered ABC’s best numbers in the time period in nearly 6 months – since 11/27/12.
Wednesday: Up week to week in viewers (+13%) and young adults (+5%), ABC’s season finale of The Middle was the most-watched TV show in its 8pm half-hour. The ABC comedy drew its biggest audience and equaled a 12-week high in Adults 18-49 –2/27/13. In addition, The Middle marked its most-watched season finale ever – since 5/19/10. Jumping 131% from its Adult 18-49 lead-in at 9pm, ABC’s Modern Family dominated its half-hour, beating runner-up CBS’ Criminal Minds finale by 42%, Fox’s Masterchef premiere by 61% and NBC’s L&O: SVU finale by 131%. Modern Family finished as Wednesday’s #1 TV show on all 4 weeks of the 2013 May Sweep Modern Family equaled a 6-week high in Adults 18-49 – since 4/10/13. At 10pm opposite the final hour of CBS’ 2-hour Criminal Minds finale, ABC’s freshman finale of Nashville beat NBC’s freshman finale of Chicago Fire by 12% in Adults 18-49. Building for the 2nd week in Adults 18-49 (+12%) and for the 3rd week in Total Viewers (+7%), Nashville capped its season with its strongest results since January – since 1/16/13 and 1/23/13, respectively.
Thursday: From 8-9pm on Thursday, ABC’s Wipeout was up week to week in viewers (+11%) and young adults (+20%). In the hour, the ABC unscripted series outperformed NBC’s back-to-back debut episodes of Save Me by 1.1 million viewers and by 71% in Adults 18-49. Building on its lead-in at 9pm by 1.9 million viewers and growing 8% in Adults 18-49, ABC’s Motive was the most-watched new series on Thursday and tied Fox’s Hell’s Kitchen-driven debut of Does Someone Have to Go? in young adults. Despite facing lower viewing levels in its regular slot, Motive held more than 90% of its Monday preview coming out of the Dancing finale in Total Viewers (94%), Adults 18-49 (100%) and Adults 18-34 (100%), while spiking with key Men: M18-34 (+40%) and M18-49 (+29%). At 10pm, ABC’s Rookie Blue opened its 4th season at #1 in the hour with Total Viewers, Adults 18-49 and Adults 25-54, beating NBC’s Hannibal. Rookie Blue was up 18% in Total Viewers from its 3rd season finale, topping its 12 previous telecasts back to its year-ago premiere (on 5/24/12). In fact the season opener also outdrew all of its Season 2 telecasts in Total Viewers, marking the series’ 2nd-biggest audience since August 19, 2010. In addition, the show outdelivered last season’s finale in Adults 25-54 (+17%) and retained 100% of its closer in Adults 18-49.
Friday: From 8-9pm on Friday, Shark Tank ranked #1 among Adults 18-49 for the 2nd straight week, equaling an 8-week high for ABC in the time period (since 3/22/13). The show was up from its performance in the time period on the same night last year in both Total Viewers (+2%) and Adults 18-49 (+30%). In the 9 o’clock hour, an encore of ABC’s Shark Tank matched its highest-ever repeat performance in Adults 18-49. Shark Tank scored double-digit increases from the Net’s deliveries in the hour on the year-ago Friday in both Total Viewers (+26%) and Adults 18-49 (+23%).
Saturday: ABC’s Bet On Your Baby posted double-digit gains week to week in both Total Viewers (+21%) and Adults 18-49 (+25%) to score its best numbers in 1 month – since 4/27/13.
