Opposite another Sunday of substantial sports competition from Fox 2012 World Series Game 4 and NBC’s Sunday Night Football (Denver Broncos-New Orleans Saints), as well as storm coverage of Hurricane Sandy, ABC held all of its delivery week to week and beat out CBS on the night by 21% in Adults 18-49.
Hitting season highs during the 7 o’clock hour, ABC’s America’s Funniest Home Videos built week to week in viewers (+12%) and young adults (+23%), generating its strongest performance since the beginning of May on both measures – since 5/6/12. In addition, AFHV marked its highest Teen 12-17 number in nearly 8 months – since 3/4/12.
Leaping over its lead-in by 113% in Adults 18-49 at 8pm and building from start to finish, ABC’s Once Upon a Time registered as Sunday’s top-rated scripted broadcast series for the 5th week in a row. Once Upon a Time beat out its non-sports competition from 8-9pm, drawing a larger overall audience than Amazing Race XXI and beating the CBS unscripted series by a resounding 42% in Adults 18-49. The Disney-owned drama once again finished #1 straight out in its hour with key Women (W18-34/W18-49). Season to date in the L+7 ratings, Once Upon a Time jumps by 3.0 million viewers and by 1.3 Adult 18-49 rating points (+37%) over its initially-reported Live + Same Day ratings. Building for the 2nd week in a row, ABC’s Once Upon a Time grew week to week in Adults 18-49 (+3%) to equal a best-since-season-premiere number – since 9/30/12. In addition the show spiked over the prior week with Adults 18-34 (+19%) and Women 18-34 (+30%).
In the 9pm hour, ABC’s Revenge towered over CBS’ competing drama, The Good Wife, by 50% Adults 18-49. The ABC sophomore drama also dominated the CBS veteran drama across all key Women demos (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54). Spiking in DVR playback, on average this season Revenge surges from its L+SD to L+7 numbers by 2.8 million viewers and by 1.2 Adult 18-49 rating points (+43%).
During the 10 o’clock hour, ABC freshman 666 Park Avenue defeated CBS’ veteran The Mentalist in Adults 18-34 (+9%), Men 18-34 (+14%) and Women 18-34 (+14%), while tying in Adult 18-49 audience share. In fact, the new ABC drama stood as the #1 broadcast series in its time slot for the 5th week in a row with Women 18-34. Placing among the biggest freshman series this season in DVR playback, on average 666 Park Avenue sees its Live + 7 Day Adult 18-49 rating jump by 50% (+0.9 rating) and adds on another 2.1 million viewers over its Live + Same Day numbers. Holding steady, the ABC freshman drama retained all of its Total Viewer count from the prior week for the 2nd straight week.
