Overall: During the week of 4/16/12, ABC earned second place in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49. Among Adults 18-49, the Net beat out third-place CBS by 6% and fourth-place NBC by 19% (defeating NBC for the 6th week in a row). ABC claimed 6 of the Top 20 TV shows in Adults 18-49, including the #1 scripted series/comedy with Modern Family, the #1 drama with Grey’s Anatomy the #1 freshman drama with Once Upon a Time and the #1 new mid-season series with Don’t Trust the B— in Apartment 23: Modern Family – #2, Grey’s Anatomy – #7, Once Upon a Time – #12, Dancing with the Stars – #13, Don’t Trust the B— in Apartment 23 – #16 and DWTS Results Show – #18. In fact, based on projected DVR playback, ABC’s Modern Family will emerge as the week’s #1 TV show overall in Adults 18-49 in the final Live + 7 Day ratings (gaining 2.5 rating points on average), jumping well ahead of American Idol-Wed. In addition, ABC delivered 3 of the Top 7 most-watched programs overall: DWTS – #3, DWTS Results Show – #5 and Castle – #7. ABC’s Dancing topped both Fox’s Idol-Thurs and NBC’s The Voice for the 5th week running. The Network delivered TV’s Top 4 10 o’clock series during the week in Adults 25-54 with Castle, Revenge, Scandal and Private Practice, respectively. Building week to week in Total Viewers (+5%) and Adults 18-49 (+6%), ABC marked a 5-week high with young adults – since 3/12/12.
Monday: Driven by another strong turnout for DWTS and Castle, ABC stood as Monday’s most-watched TV net for the 5th week running, outdrawing NBC by 6.2 million viewers, CBS by 6.8 million viewers and more than doubling the audience of Fox (+133%). In addition among Adults 18-49, ABC defeated Fox’s original drama lineup by 24%. ABC grew week to week in viewers (+14%) and young adults (+8%), while increasing its overall audience by 7% from the year-ago evening. Once again finishing as Monday’s most-watched TV program, ABC’s Dancing with the Stars soared to the top its 2-hour time slot for the 5th straight week, beating out runner-up NBC’s The Voice in head-to-head competition by 6.7 million viewers. The ABC unscripted series dominated Fox’s combo of Bones and House in Adults 18-49 by 38%. In addition, the broad-appealing dancing competition ranked #1 in the slot with Women 25-54, while taking second with Women 18-49 and making ABC the #2 broadcaster with Teens 12-17 and Kids 2-11. ABC’s Castle won the 10 o’clock hour by impressive margins in Total Viewers and key Adults (AD18-49/AD25-54) to stand as Monday’s most-watched scripted show overall. In the hour, ABC’s Castle beat out NBC’s first-run Smash by 5.5 million viewers, by 35% in Adults 25-54 and by a best-yet 11% in Adults 18-49. Castle also qualified was Monday’s #1 drama with Viewers and Adults 25-54, outdelivering Fox’s Bones and House, as well as NBC’s Smash.
Tuesday: With Last Man Standing, Cougar Town, DWTS Results Show and the premiere of Private Practice on its new night, ABC was Tuesday’s 2nd-most-watched TV network to CBS, outpacing NBC by 2.0 million viewers and Fox by 3.4 million viewers. At 8pm, up against CBS’ top-rated NCIS, ABC self-starter Last Man Standing once again qualified as Tuesday’s most-watched comedy overall, drawing 1.3 million more viewers than Fox’s Glee-assisted New Girl in the 9pm half-hour. Continuing to generate big year-over-year improvement for ABC, Last Man Standing grew its slot by 41% in viewers and by 45% in Adults 18-49 over original programming on the same night a year ago. In the 8:30pm half-hour, ABC’s Cougar Town boosted its time period by double digits year to year in Adults 18-49 (+17%). Jumping over its lead-in at 9pm, ABC’s DWTS Results Show stood as the most-watched TV program in its slot for the 4th week running, outdrawing its unscripted competition on NBC (Voice Results) by an increasing 5.3 million viewers (up from a 4.4 million viewer advantage the prior week). ABC’s dancing results program stood as Tuesday’s #2 TV show overall, behind only NCIS. In addition, the broad-appealing ABC unscripted series ranked #2 in the hour with Adults 18-49 and Adults 25-54, while holding the #1 position with Women 25-54. Singer Gavin DeGraw was the fourth celebrity eliminated from the dance competition this season. ABC’s DWTS Results Show was up week to week in Total Viewers (+6%) and Adults 18-49 (+9%). In addition, with a performance by Disney star Selena Gomez, the show spiked 20% over the prior week with Teens 12-17. In the 10 o’clock hour, ABC’s Private Practice premiered at #1 on its new day among Adults 25-54. In addition, the ABC drama led its CBS and NBC competition with Adults 18-49. In fact, ABC led its network rivals the hour for the 3rd week in a row with key Adults (AD18-49/AD25-54) and won for the 4th consecutive week with key Women (W18-49/W25-54).
Wednesday: With a mix of repeat and original comedies leading to the victorious return of Revenge at 10pm (first original telecast since February), ABC ran a strong #2 on Wednesday to a 2-hour Idol-driven Fox, beating CBS by 20% and more than doubling NBC’s night of all-original programming (+118%). The Net matched its strongest Wednesday since February in viewers and young adults – since 2/29/12. Continuing to produce improving year-to-year returns on the evening, ABC was up over an all-original schedule on the year-ago Wednesday in Viewers (+16%) and Adults 18-49 (+9%). At 8pm, ABC’s repeat The Middle was up over its last replay airing by double digits in viewers (+21%) and young adults (+30%). Surging over its repeat The Middle lead-in at 8:30pm, ABC’s Suburgatory crushed its NBC freshman comedy competition in its slot, defeating Best Friends Forever by 104% in Total Viewers and by 150% in Adults 18-49. For the 6th straight first-run telecast, the ABC freshman comedy outdelivered the second half of Survivor: One World with Adults 18-34 (+38%) and Women 18-34 (+40%). Spiking by 20% week to week, Suburgatory achieved a 10-week high with Adults 18-34 – since 2/8/12. The ABC freshman comedy marked double-digit year-over-year growth for ABC in the half-hour, jumping by 10% in viewers and by 25% in young adults over original comedy programming on the same night last year. ABC’s Modern Family more than doubled its lead-in at 9pm to finish as Wednesday’s top-rated scripted program in Adults 18-49. In addition, Modern Family beat American Idol head to head in the half hour to qualify as Wednesday’s #1 TV show in Adults 18-34 and Women 18-34. Building year to year, ABC’s Modern Family grew over its year-ago broadcast by 3% in Viewers and by 8% in Adults 18-49. During the 9:30pm half-hour, ABC’s Don’t Trust the B— in Apartment 23 ranked #2 to the conclusion of Idol across all key Adult demos (AD18-34/AD18-49/AD25-54). Don’t Trust the B— in Apartment 23 showed impressive retention of its week-ago debut in Total Viewers (93%), Adults 18-34 (92%), Adults 18-49 (90%) and Women 18-49 (97%). The new ABC comedy improved its time period year to year in viewers (+3%) and young adults (+13%), outpacing original comedy programming on the same night last year. During the 10 o’clock hour, returning to original for its first time in nearly 2 months (since 2/29/12), ABC’s Revenge came back with a definitive first-place finish among Total Viewers, Adults 18-49 and Adults 25-54. In fact, ABC’s Revenge towered over NBC’s original Law & Order: SVU in Total Viewers (+28%), Adults 18-49 (+44%) and Adults 25-54 (+45%). The ABC freshman drama generated big year-to-year time-period gains in Total Viewers (+83%), Adults 18-49 (+35%) and Adults 25-54 (+38%), rising sharply over first-run programming on the same night last year. Topping its last original, Revenge attracted ABC’s largest audience to the hour since the beginning of the Feb Sweep – since 2/8/12.
Thursday: ABC earned second place on Thursday in Adults 18-49 to an Idol-led Fox, leading CBS by 22% and NBC’s all-original schedule by 57%. Growing over the prior Thursday with young adults (+5%), the Network achieved a 5-week high on the night – since 3/15/12. In the 8 o’clock hour, opposite Fox’s American Idol and CBS’ comedies, ABC’s Missing more than doubled the audience for NBC’s original comedy block (+148% over Community/30 Rock). The new ABC drama also beat out the established NBC comedies with Adults 25-54, Men 25-54 and key Women (W18-49/W25-54). More than doubling its Adult 18-49 lead-in at 9pm (+136%), ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy won its time slot for the 2nd week running in both Total Viewers and Adults 18-49. Thursday’s #1 scripted show in Adults 18-49, Grey’s beat out Fox’s Idol-driven Touch during the 9 o’clock hour by a best-yet 57% and NBC’s comedy block by 65% (The Office/Parks and Recreation). Additionally, Grey’s stood as Thursday’s top-rated TV show with Adults 18-34 and Women 18-34 (3rd straight week). Up for the 2nd consecutive week in Viewers (+11%) and Adults 18-49 (+14%), ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy marked a 10-week high on both measures – since 2/9/12. During the 10 o’clock hour, ABC’s Scandal once again finished #1 in its slot among Adults 18-49 and Adults 25-54. During the hour, ABC’s Scandal more than doubled its freshman drama competition, overpowering NBC’s Awake by 157% in Total Viewers, by 145% in Adults 25-54 and by 122% in Adults 18-49. In addition, the new drama won its slot among key Women (W18-49/W25-54) for the 3rd week in a row. ABC’s Scandal matched its best numbers yet with Adults 18-49 and Women 18-49, while hitting new highs with Adults 25-54 and Women 25-54.
Friday: ABC’s repeat Shark Tank qualified as the most-watched show overall in the 8 o’clock hour and ranked #1 in Adults 18-49 among the major nets, tying Fox’s original The Finder. Shark Tank dominated its encore competition in the time period on CBS by 33% (Mike & Molly/Rules of Engagement) and NBC by 50% (Who Do You Think You Are?). Growing by 11% in Total Viewers over its most-recent encore, Shark Tank turned in its most-watched-ever repeat telecast. At 9 o’clock, ABC’s Primetime: What Would You Do? finished in a virtual-tie with NBC’s Grimm for #1 versus its net rivals in Adults 18-49 (pacing within 1-tenth of a rating point and tied in audience share), beating Fox’s Fringe by 30%.
Sunday: With a mix of repeat and original programming opposite mostly original competition, ABC ranked #1 on Sunday night in Adults 18-49, tying CBS’ all-original lineup and leading Fox by 12% and NBC’s first-run lineup by 19%. The Net also finished #1 on the night across all key Women demos and was the top-rated broadcaster with Teens 12-17 and Kids 2-11. ABC’s repeat America’s Funniest Home Videos earned second place in the 7 o’clock hour to CBS’ original 60 Minutes, beating out NBC’s original Dateline by 1.7 million viewers and by 17% in Adults 18-49. Surging over its last encore in Total Viewers (+26%) and Adults 18-49 (+40%), ABC’s AFHV posted its strongest repeat performance in more than 4 months – since 12/18/11. Growing over its last original 3 weeks ago, ABC’s Once Upon a Time more than doubled its lead-in at 8pm (+114%) to win its hour for its 7th consecutive original broadcast in Adults 18-49. From 8-9pm, the freshman ABC drama outran CBS’ Amazing Race XX by 15%, Fox’s 25th Anniversary Special by 67% and NBC’s Harry’s Law by 233%. Television’s highest-rated new drama this season, ABC’s Once Upon a Time once again registered as Sunday night’s #1 TV show in the key young adult sales demo. Continuing to dramatically improve its time slot, Once Upon a Time boosted its hour for ABC year to year by 1.3 million viewers and by 36% in Adults 18-49 over first-run programming on the year-ago night. Building over its last original in Total Viewers (+8%) and Adults 18-49 (+7%), Once Upon a Time marked its most-watched telecast in 6 weeks and achieved a 7-week high with young adults – since 3/11/12 and 3/4/12, respectively. Jumping 27% among young men from its last first run airing, the show equaled a 12-week high with Men 18-34 – since 1/29/12. From 9-11pm, ABC’s Hallmark Hall of Fame: Firelight finished #2 most-watched show in its time period, while ranking #1 among Women 25-54. Building from its first hour to its second hour in viewers and young adults, Firelight emerged as the most-watched TV show in the 10 o’clock hour, outdrawing CBS’ NYC 22 (+5%) and pulling in 1.1 million more viewers than NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice. With Firelight, the Net attracted its largest audience in the 2-hour time period in 4 weeks – since 3/25/12. Firelight was up from the last Hallmark Hall of Fame movie in Total Viewers (+12%) and Adults 18-49 (+7%), standing as ABC’s best performance yet with the movie franchise. In addition, ABC’s Firelight was up a sharp 23% in Adults 18-49 over CBS’ year-ago Hallmark Hall of Fame movie (Beyond the Blackboard on 4/24/11)
(source: ABC)
