'The Bachelor' is back and solid second for ABC

0

The Bachelor on ABC finished #1 on the night among Women 18-34.


On the New Year’s holiday Monday with the season opener of The Bachelor and a special preview of Celebrity Wife Swap, ABC earned a solid second place to CBS’ original lineup, beating out NBC’s original schedule by wide margins with Total Viewers (+41%) and Adults 18-49 (+41%).  ABC finished #1 on the night among Women 18-34.

ABC’s season opener of The Bachelor from 8-10pm ranked a competitive #2 to CBS’ first-run comedy block in viewers and young adults.  The Bachelor took full control of NBC’s unscripted programming (Who’s Still Standing?/Fear Factor) during the 2-hour time period, leading by 2.0 million viewers and by 26% in Adults 18-49.    The Bachelor ranked #1 in its slot among its core audience of Women 18-34. 

The veteran ABC unscripted series gained audience from its first hour to its second hour, beating NBC’s Fear Factor during the 9pm hour in both Total Viewers and Adults 18-49.   

In Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, The Bachelor generated ABC’s strongest performance in the 2-hour time period in 6 weeks – since 11/21/11.  Additionally, the show posted the Net’s best Women 18-34 number in the slot since mid-October, representing its 2nd-highest number since season-premiere Monday – since 10/17/11 and 9/19/11, respectively.

Holding 100% of its Adult 18-49 lead-in during the 10 o’clock hour, a preview airing of ABC’s Celebrity Wife Swap the night before its debut earned a solid second place to CBS’ original Hawaii Five-0, dominating NBC’s Rock Center with Brian Williams with viewers (+66%) and young adults (+100%).  In fact the new ABC series won the hour, beating time period veteran Hawaii Five-0 among Adults 18-34 and Women 18-34.  Please Note: ABC’s Celebrity Wife Swap debuts in its regular time period tonight from 9-10pm.

In addition to retaining all of its Adult 18-49 lead-in, Celebrity Wife Swap built on its lead-in across all key Men demos (M18-34/M18-49/M25-54).

The Celebrity Wife Swap preview produced ABC’s top Adult 18-34 and Women 18-34 numbers in the hour since September – since 9/26/11 and 9/19/11.  In addition, the show improved its time period year to year with Adults 18-34 and key Women (W18-34/W18-49).

(source; ABC)