ABC Overall: Continuing to grow its primetime numbers year to year (on each week of Summer 2010), ABC turned in its strongest weekly performance since mid-June (with coverage of the NBA Finals) in both Total Viewers and Adults 18-49. In fact on both counts, it was the Net’s top non-NBA summertime week in more than 2 years – since w/o 7/7/08. ABC claimed 3 of the Top 7 TV programs for the week in Adults 18-49: The Bachelorette and The Bachelorette: After the Final Rose tied at #2 and Wipeout-TUES – #7. Scoring its biggest finale since 2004, ABC’s season closer of The Bachelorette finished as the week’s most-watched TV show overall, even outdrawing NBC’s NFL Hall of Fame Game on Sunday night (Cincinnati-Dallas). In addition, The Bachelorette and After the Final Rose qualified as the Top 2 television shows across all key Women demos (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54). ABC News aired the #1 newsmagazine for the week in Adults 18-49, with Primetime: What Would You Do? on Tuesday. ABC News delivered TV’s #1 newsmagazine for the 8th week in a row and for the 9th time in the last 10 weeks this summer. The only major net to grow its overall audience from the same week last year, ABC’s primetime results shot up by 57% in Total Viewers and by 45% in Adults 18-49, marking its 12th straight week of year-over-year gains on both Nielsen measures. ABC’s summer numbers have surged year to year by 25% in Total Viewers and by 19% in Adults 18-49, producing its strongest results in 5 years – since 2005.
Monday: ABC was the most-watched network overall for the 7th consecutive week and ranked #1 in Adults 18-49 for the 9th Monday in a row. The Network towered over its nearest broadcast competition (CBS) by 5.1 million viewers and by 111% in Adults 18-49. In fact, ABC drew its largest Monday summer audience (Memorial Day – Labor Day) and highest non-sports Adults 18-49 performance in over 10 years – since 6/26/00. With the 6th-season finale of The Bachelorette, ABC finished #1 in the time period for the 10th consecutive week (on every telecast this season), outperforming its closest competitor (CBS) by 5.0 million viewers and by 90% in Adults 18-49. The veteran ABC unscripted series built steadily throughout its telecast, drawing an average of 13.2 million viewers and a 4.4/12 among Adults 18-49 during its final half-hour from 9:30-10pm, with Bachelorette Ali giving the final rose to Roberto. The Bachelorette saw increases over its year-ago season finale (7/27/09) of 1.7 million viewers and 9% in Adults 18-49, pulling its strongest finale numbers overall since 2004 when it concluded in February (on 2/25/04). On average, The Bachelorette stood as Monday’s #1 TV show of Summer 2010 in Adults 18-49 and the top summer series overall across all key Women demographics (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54). Like previous editions of the franchise, the 6th season of The Bachelorette is a big hit with Upscale viewers, ranking as TV’s #1 series this summer among Adults 18-49 in Homes with $100k+ annual income. On average in its sixth season, The Bachelorette was up over the previous year by 1.6 million viewers and by 14% in Adults 18-49. In fact, The Bachelorette generated its most-watched season since 2004. ABC The Bachelorette: After the Final Rose won the 10 o’clock hour, outdelivering its CBS and NBC competition combined by 5% in Total Viewers and by 36% among Adults 18-49. The Bachelorette: After the Final Rose was up over its performance last year (7/28/09) by 3.3 million viewers and by 36% in Adults 18-49.
Tuesday: ABC ranked #1 on Thursday against its network rivals for the 4th consecutive week among Adults 18-49. Continuing to show substantial year-to-year improvement on Thursday, ABC more than doubled its performance from the same night last summer (8/6/09) in Total Viewers (+131%) and Adults 18-49 (+129%). In fact the Network posted its 9th consecutive Thursday of year-over-year primetime increases. For the 2nd week in a row, a repeat of ABC’s Wipeout finished a strong second to CBS’ original Big Brother in the 8 o’clock hour in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, while beating the CBS unscripted series with Teens 12-17 and Kids 2-11. TV’s #1 new scripted series this summer, ABC’s Rookie Blue qualified as the most-watched TV show in its time period for the 2nd straight week. The freshman ABC drama also earned first place in its time slot for the 2nd week running with Adults 25-54. Building its overall audience for the 4th week in a row, Rookie Blue marked its most-watched telecast since its series debut 6 weeks ago – since 6/24/10. The new series also equaled its 2nd highest-ever young adult number. Rookie Blue continued to produce impressive year-to-year gains for ABC in the hour, boosting the Net’s results over the same night last year by 4.2 million viewers and by 157% in Adults 18-49. The season’s penultimate episode of ABC News’ Boston Med ranked #2 against its CBS and NBC competition in the 10 o’clock hour among Adults 18-49 and #1 with key Women (W18-49/W18-34). Growing for the 2nd week in a row, Boston Med drew its biggest audience in 4 weeks – since 7/8/10. On average during its run so far, Boston Med has greatly improved Thursday’s 10 o’clock hour for ABC, boosting the time period by 2.8 million viewers and by 86% in Adults 18-49 over the Net’s performance last summer.
Thursday: ABC ranked #1 on Thursday against its network rivals for the 4th consecutive week among Adults 18-49. Continuing to show substantial year-to-year improvement on Thursday, ABC more than doubled its performance from the same night last summer (8/6/09) in Total Viewers (+131%) and Adults 18-49 (+129%). In fact the Network posted its 9th consecutive Thursday of year-over-year primetime increases. For the 2nd week in a row, a repeat of ABC’s Wipeout finished a strong second to CBS’ original Big Brother in the 8 o’clock hour in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, while beating the CBS unscripted series with Teens 12-17 and Kids 2-11. TV’s #1 new scripted series this summer, ABC’s Rookie Blue qualified as the most-watched TV show in its time period for the 2nd straight week. The freshman ABC drama also earned first place in its time slot for the 2nd week running with Adults 25-54. Building its overall audience for the 4th week in a row, Rookie Blue marked its most-watched telecast since its series debut 6 weeks ago – since 6/24/10. The new series also equaled its 2nd highest-ever young adult number. Rookie Blue continued to produce impressive year-to-year gains for ABC in the hour, boosting the Net’s results over the same night last year by 4.2 million viewers and by 157% in Adults 18-49. The season’s second-to-last episode of ABC News’ Boston Med ranked #2 against its CBS and NBC competition in the 10 o’clock hour among Adults 18-49 and #1 with key Women (W18-49/W18-34). Growing for the 2nd week in a row, Boston Med drew its biggest audience in 4 weeks – since 7/8/10. On average during its run so far, Boston Med has greatly improved Thursday’s 10 o’clock hour for ABC, boosting the time period by 2.8 million viewers and by 86% in Adults 18-49 over the Net’s performance last summer.
Friday: For the 5th straight week, ABC ranked #1 among the major networks on Friday in Adults 18-49, beating NBC by 20%, Fox by 33% and CBS by 50%. At 9pm, a repeat ABC News’ Primetime: What Would You Do? beat the first hour of NBC’s original Dateline by 44% in Adults 18-49 and by 8% among Adults 25-54. ABC News’ 20/20 won the final hour of prime in Adults 18-49 for the 5th consecutive week running, outperforming the second hour of NBC’s Dateline by 30%.
Sunday: ABC’s America’s Funniest Home Videos hit summer-highs for the 2nd week in a row in both Total Viewers and Adults 18-49. In addition, ABC’s repeat video-clip show topped the 7 o’clock hour in the key young adult demographic for the 6th straight week. Opposite NFL Pre-Season Football on NBC in the 8pm hour, ABC’s repeat Extreme Makeover: Home Edition turned in a summer-best performance in the hour among Total Viewers and Adults 18-49.
(source: ABC)
