Overall: During the week of 1/7/13, ABC claimed 7 of the Top 20 entertainment programs in Adults 18-49, placing 4 of the Top 10: Modern Family – #3, Grey’s Anatomy – #7, Scandal and Once Upon a Time tied at #10, Suburgatory – #13, The Middle – #14 and The Bachelor – #19. Building for the 2nd consecutive week in Total Viewers (+25%) and Adults 18-49 (+36%), ABC delivered its top numbers since November – since w/o 11/26/12.
Monday: With the season opener of The Bachelor and Castle opposite the BCS Title Game on ESPN, ABC was Monday’s most-watched broadcast net, outdrawing runner-up NBC with its Monday premiere of The Biggest Loser and the series debut of Deception by 1.4 million viewers. ABC also led its broadcast competition across all key Women. Building in each half-hour, ABC’s season premiere of The Bachelor drew 8% more viewers in the 2-hour time period than NBC’s The Biggest Loser. The Bachelor stood as Monday’s #1 TV series among Adults 18-34 and across the Women demos (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54) and delivered ABC’s highest ratings in the time period in 5 months in Adults 18-34 and Women 18-34 – since 7/9/12. Versus its year-ago premiere, The Bachelor retained 96% of its Adults 18-49 audience, while holding 100% retention in Adults 18-34. During the 10 o’clock hour, ABC’s Castle was up 12% in Adults 18-49 over its last original 5 weeks ago on 12/3/12. Gaining on its lead-in to finish as Monday’s most-watched TV series overall, ABC’s Castle outdrew NBC’s series debut of Deception by 3.0 million viewers in the time period. Castle also outdelivered the NBC drama premiere with Adults 25-54 (+4%) and Men 25-54 (+29%) to rank as the top-rated series in the hour.
Tuesday: From 8-9pm, ABC’s repeat comedies (Modern Family/The Middle) beat Fox’s original comedies (Raising Hope/Ben & Kate) by 2.3 million viewers and by 14% in Adults 18-49. In addition, at 8pm the encore Modern Family outdelivered the second season premiere of NBC’s Off Their Rockers in viewers and young adults. At 9pm, ABC’s Happy Endings was up over its last original telecast in the half-hour three weeks ago by 8% in Adults 18-49, and posted its most competitive finish yet with NBC’s Go On (pacing within 1-tenth of a rating point and tied in audience share). Happy Endings defeated Go On in Adults 18-34 (+10%) and Men 18-34 (+43%). The ABC comedy matched its top Adult 18-49 number since its season premiere on October 23, 2012. At 9:30pm, ABC’s Don’t Trust the B—- in Apt 23 drew its biggest audience in 10 weeks and retained 100% of its last original in the half-hour among Adults 18-49. Building on its lead-in (+29%) during the 10 o’clock hour, ABC’s Private Practice earned its largest audience since December 4, 2012.
Wednesday: As each of its series grew over their most recent original telecasts in early December, ABC won Wednesday night in Adults 18-49 over original programming on each of the other nets, including CBS with The People’s Choice Awards. ABC’s Modern Family qualified as Wednesday’s most-watched TV show, and, for its 10th straight first-run broadcast, as the night’s #1 show across all key Adult demos (AD18-34/AD18-49/AD25-54). ABC earned its top-rated Wednesday since early November in Adults 18-49 with regular programming on the night – since 11/7/12. At 8pm, ABC’s The Middle won its half-hour in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49. The Middle was up over its most recent original 4 weeks ago by 15% in viewers and by 14% in young adults to its best numbers since 11/14/12. At 8:30pm, ABC freshman The Neighbors ranked #1 in Adults 18-49, beating NBC’s freshman Guys with Kids by 68% in viewers and by a best-ever 62% in young adults. The Neighbors built over its last original by 24% in Total Viewers and by 31% in Adults 18-49 to its biggest audience since November (since 11/14/12) and its highest young adult rating yet in the slot. At 9pm, ABC’s Modern Family shot to the top of its half-hour, outpacing its nearest competition (CBS’ People’s Choice Awards) by 22% in Total Viewers and by 81% in Adults 18-49. Modern Family grew from its last original by 10% in viewers and by 12% in young adults to post its top numbers since 11/7/12. In the 9:30pm half-hour, ABC’s Suburgatory was the #1 series in Adults 18-49, beating NBC’s L&O: SVU by 18% in Adults 18-49. Suburgatory was up over its last original 5 weeks ago by 11% in Total Viewers and by 18% in Adults 18-49 to its highest young adult number since 11/7/12. During the 10 o’clock hour, ABC’s Nashville once again beat its CBS and NBC competition among Women 18-34 to rank as the #1 show outright in the hour. Season to date, Nashville is delivering big increases via TV playback, picking up 57% in Adults 18-49 (+1.2 rating) and 45% in Total Viewers (+2.9 million) from L+SD to L+7. Posting its 2nd-highest Adult 18-49 rating, Nashville built for its 3rd straight original telecast among young adults (+11% from its Winter Finale on 12/5/12).
Thursday: ABC earned a strong second place on Thursday, beating NBC on the night (w/1600 Penn premiere) by 95% in Total Viewers and by 60% in Adults 18-49. The Net was up over its last all-original Thursday 4 weeks ago by 15% in Total Viewers and by 14% in Adults 18-49, hitting its top numbers on the night in over 3 months with regular programming – since 10/4/12. More than doubling its Adult 18-49 lead-in at 9pm (+167%), ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy was up over its winter finale on 12/13/12 by 10% to its highest rating in 2 months – since 11/15/12. In addition the show gained 13% in Total Viewers over its last original to draw its biggest audience since early November – since 11/8/12. Continuing to deliver its best-ever lead-in retention out of an original Grey’s (88%), ABC’s Scandal dominated CBS’ Elementary in Adults 18-49 (+17%) to finish as the #1 series in Thursday’s 10pm hour for its 4th straight original broadcast. Surging over its winter finale on 12/13/12 in Total Viewers (+18%) and Adults 18-49 (+17%), Scandal delivered new series highs across the board, including viewers and all key Adult demos (AD18-34/AD18-49/AD25-54). Furthermore, the ABC sophomore drama improved by double digits over an original Private Practice in the hour on the year-ago night (on 01/12/12) in viewers (+29%) and young adults (+22%).
Friday: With each of its programs gaining week to week, ABC ranked as the #1 major broadcaster on Friday in Adults 18-49, hitting a 6-week high on the night – since 11/30/12. ABC’s Shark Tank was Friday’s #1 TV show in the key young adult sales demo. At 8pm, ABC’s Last Man Standing was up 7% over the prior week in Adults 18-49 and delivered its most-watched telecast overall since November 16, 2012. Retaining nearly all of its Adult 18-49 lead-in at 8:30pm (93%), ABC’s Malibu Country spiked 17% week to week. Up by 11% week to week to its best number since early November (since 11/9/12), ABC’s Shark Tank built on its lead-in to rank #1 during the 9 o’clock hour in Adults 18-49, beating CBS’ CSI: NY by 25%, the first hour of NBC’s Dateline by 67% and Fox’s Fringe by 150%. During the 10 o’clock hour, ABC’s 20/20 grew week to week in Total Viewers (+2%) and Adults 18-49 (+7%). 20/20 reported on elaborate fakes, secret lives and big lies.
Saturday: Opposite Fox’s high-rated primetime NFC Divisional Playoff Game (Green Bay Packers vs. San Francisco 49ers) and an NFL overrun-fueled CBS (AFC Divisional Playoffs) on Saturday, ABC’s 9-11pm broadcast of The 2013 Miss America Competition grew its overall audience year to year and made the Net the #1 non-sports network in the time period with Total Viewers and Adults 18-49. Building steadily throughout its 2-hour telecast, the numbers for The Miss America Competition surged by 2.3 million viewers and by 54% in young adults from its first half-hour to its final half-hour. During its final half-hour from 10:30-11pm, The Miss America Competition attracted 8.3 million viewers and a 2.0 rating, 5 share with young adults. In Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, ABC earned its strongest entertainment numbers in the time slot since April – since 4/8/12 and 4/27/12, respectively. Although facing big NFL competition each year, The Miss America Competition increased its overall audience (+6%) for the 3rd straight year on ABC to deliver the program’s most-watched broadcast since 2004.
Sunday: Returning to original for the first time in 5 weeks opposite the final hour of the AFC Divisional Playoff game on CBS, ABC’s America’s Funniest Home Videos soared over its year-ago telecast (on 1/15/12) by 1.2 million viewers and by 17% in Adults 18-49. At 8 o’clock, ABC’s Once Upon a Time shot up over its lead-in (+100%) to stand as Sunday’s #2 entertainment series in Adults 18-49. In the 9pm hour, ABC’s Revenge beat CBS’ NFL-boosted The Good Wife by 5% in Adults 18-49, leading the CBS drama for its 11th straight broadcast this season. Despite airing against the 2012 Golden Globes on NBC this week, ABC’s Happy Endings and Don’t Trust the B—- in Apt 23 retained 90% and 89%, respectively, of their week-ago Adult 18-49 ratings.
