Primetime Ratings Report
For the week of May 21, 2012
(Based on National Live + Same Day Program Ratings)
ABC Delivers 7 of the Week's Top 15 TV Programs in Adults 18-49, the
Most for Any Net, with the No. 1 Scripted Show and the Top 2 Freshman Series
The Network Grows its Numbers Year to Year in Viewers and Young Adults
ABC Ranks No. 1 on the Final 10 Mondays of the 2011-12 Season in Viewers,
Claiming the Night's Most-Watched TV Show with "Dancing with the Stars"
ABC's "The Bachelorette" Premiere Finishes as the No. 1 Series in its Time Slot in
Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, and is Monday's No. 1 Show with Women 18-34
The Most-Watched TV Show of the Night, ABC's "DWTS Results Show" Increases
Its Winning Advantage Year to Year Over the Tuesday Finale of "American Idol"
ABC's "DWTS Results Show" Scores Season Highs and Generates the Net's
Best Numbers in the Time Period in 6 Months with Viewers and Young Adults
ABC Generates its Strongest Season-Ending Wednesday Night in 5 Years
Closing Out its Best-Ever Season, "The Middle" Hits a 6-Week High in Adults 18-49
ABC's "Modern Family" Stands as Wednesday's No. 1 Scripted Show in Viewers and Young Adults and Finishes its Strongest Season Ever with Double-Digit Improvement
Against the Conclusion of "Idol," ABC's "Don't Trust the B--- in Apartment 23"
Shoots Up Week to Week and Improves its Time Period Over the Year-Ago Night
Winning the 10pm Hour, ABC's "Revenge" Caps Out its Freshman Season with its
Most-Watched Telecast in 20 Weeks and as the Net's Top Draw in the Slot in 5 Years
Head-to-Head on Thursday, ABC's Debut of "Duets" Outdraws Fox's Premiere of
"So You Think You Can Dance," Improving its Slot Year to Year by More than 50%
ABC's "Rookie Blue" Opens its 3rd Season with its Top Telecast Since August 2010
"20/20" is Friday's No. 1 Show on the Major Nets in Adults 18-49 and Adults 25-54
Dominating Saturday Evening, with the "NBA Playoffs on ABC" Standing as the
Definitive No. 1 Television Show, the Net Marks a 5-Month High on the Night
WEEK No. 36:
During the week of May 21, 2012, ABC finished a strong second in viewers (7.4 million) and young adults (1.9/6). Among Adults 18-49, ABC beat out NBC by 46% (1.3/4) and CBS by 58% (1.2/4).
· ABC grew over the same week last year (7.1 million and 1.8/6 on w/o 5/23/11) in both viewers (+4%) and young adults (+6%).
Rankings: ABC aired 7 of the Top 15 TV programs for the week in Adults 18-49 (the most for any net), claiming the No. 1 scripted series with "Modern Family" and the Top 2 freshman series with "Revenge" and "Don't Trust the B--- in Apartment 23" tying for the top-spot: "Modern Family" - No. 3, "DWTS Results Show" - No. 6, "Dancing with the Stars" - No. 10, "NBA Playoffs on ABC" - No. 13, while "The Bachelorette," "Don't Trust the B--- in Apartment 23" and "Revenge" tied at No. 15. The Net delivered 3 of the Top 5 most-watched shows overall for the week, including the top scripted program: "DWTS Results Show" (No. 2), "Dancing with the Stars" (No. 3) and "Modern Family" (No. 5 overall/No. 1 scripted).
Monday
ABC (10.7 million) capped out the final Monday of the season in winning fashion, standing as the night's most-watched TV network on each of the final 10 weeks of 2011-12, outdrawing Fox with the series finale of "House" by 3.2 million viewers (7.5 million), NBC with "America's Got Talent" and the season premiere of "American Ninja Warrior" by 3.3 million viewers (7.4 million), and CBS' encores by 5.0 million viewers (5.7 million). The Net (2.6/7) nearly tied NBC (2.7/7) for first place on the night in Adults 18-49 (pacing within 1-tenth of a rating point and tied in audience share), while beating Fox by 4% (2.5/7). ABC once again ran No. 1 on Monday across all key Women (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54).
"Dancing with the Stars" (8:00-9:01 p.m.)
During the 8 o'clock hour, ABC's 1-hour Monday finale of "Dancing with the Stars" stood as the evening's most-watched television program and topped its slot for the 10th straight week, outdrawing NBC's "America's Got Talent" in head-to-head competition by 7.1 million viewers (16.8 million vs. 9.7 million). In addition, the broad-appealing ABC dance competition won its slot with Adults 25-54 (No. 1 show of the night) and Women 18-49 (No. 1 show of the night).
· "DWTS" built week to week in Total Viewers (+6%) and Adults 18-49 (+12%) to earn its best results in 1 month - since 4/23/12. In addition, the show hit a 6-week high with Teens 12-17 and an 8-week high with Kids 2-11 - since 4/9/12 and 3/26/12, respectively.
"The Bachelorette" (9:01-11:00 p.m.)
From 9:00-11:00 p.m., ABC's "The Bachelorette" ranked as the No. 1 series in its 2-hour time period with Total Viewers (7.5 million) and Adults 18-49 (2.4/6), attracting 1.3 million more viewers than NBC's season opener of "American Ninja Warrior" (6.2 million) in the slot. In addition, the ABC unscripted show finished No. 1 in its time slot among key Women (W18-34/W18-49). In fact, "The Bachelorette" stood as Monday's No. 1 TV show among its core audience of Women 18-34 (3.1/9).
· For the 2nd straight week, "The Bachelorette" built on its "Dancing" lead in with Adults 18-34 and Women 18-34.
· "The Bachelorette" was up over its 2nd episode last season (7.2 million and 2.2/6 on 5/30/11) in both viewers (+4%) and young adults (+9%).
Tuesday
With a "DWTS" encore and the Grand Finale 14th-season closer of "Dancing with the Stars," ABC (14.8 million) qualified as the most-watched network on the final Tuesday of the season and sweep, outdrawing Fox (11.2 million) with its Tuesday finale of "Idol" into the season finale of "Glee" by 3.6 million viewers, and more than doubling the audience of NBC (6.5 million) with "America's Got Talent" and a "Dateline 20th Anniversary" special (+8.3 million viewers or +128%). Finishing a solid second to Fox, ABC defeated NBC on the night by 18% in Adults 18-49 (2.6/7 vs. 2.2/6).
· Vaulting week to week in Total Viewers (+90%) and Adults 18-49 (+53%), ABC marked its strongest Tuesday in 6 months - since 11/22/11. In fact, it was the Net's 2nd-most-watched Tuesday of the season.
"DWTS Results Show" (9:00-11:00 p.m.)
In its 14th-season finale from 9:00-11:00 p.m., ABC's "Dancing with the Stars Results Show" won its 2-hour time period in Total Viewers (17.8 million) and Adults 18-49 (3.3/9) to produce season-high numbers on the evening. The "Dancing" finale dominated all 4 of its half-hours with Total Viewers to stand as the most-watched TV program of the night, topping the Tuesday finale of "American Idol" (14.8 million) by 3.0 million viewers (up sharply from an 855k viewer advantage on the year-ago night). Outdrawing Fox's Tuesday "Idol" closer for the 2nd consecutive year, ABC's "DWTS Results Show" is the only TV program to accomplish the feat. Super Bowl Champion and the all-time leading receiver for the Green Bay Packers Donald Driver won the coveted Mirror Ball trophy.
· Soaring from its first hour to its second hour to deliver a decisive victory from 10:00-11:00 p.m., ABC's "DWTS Results Show" beat the combined deliveries for CBS and NBC in the hour by 28% in Total Viewers (18.3 million vs. 14.3 million), by 14% in Adults 25-54 (5.0/12 vs. 4.4/11) and by 3% in Adults 18-49 (3.5/9 vs. 3.4/9).
· ABC's "DWTS Results Show" spiked week to week by 35% in viewers and by 50% in young adults to generate its biggest numbers this season.
· In viewers and young adults, the "Dancing" finale scored ABC's strongest performance in the time period since November (since 11/22/11), representing its 2nd-best numbers of the season.
Wednesday
Opposite Fox's 2-hour "American Idol" season closer on the final evening of the season, ABC's Wednesday night finales earned a strong second place among Adults 18-49 (2.6/7), beating CBS by 73% (1.5/4) and NBC by 73% (1.5/4).
· Building week to week against the "Idol" finale in viewers (+10%) and young adults (+13%), ABC hit 3-month highs on Wednesday night on both counts - since 2/29/12.
· Jumping over the year-ago night in viewers (+17% - 7.4 million vs. 6.3 million) and young adults (+13% - 2.6/7 vs. 2.3/6), ABC marked its strongest season-ending Wednesday since 2007. And on average for the 2011-12 season, ABC's Wednesday delivery grew by 15% in viewers and by 23% in young adults over last season, scoring its best results on the evening in 5 years - since the 2006-07 television season.
"The Middle" (8:00-8:30 p.m.)
At 8:00 p.m., ABC's season finale of "The Middle" (6.5 million and 2.0/7) finished a solid No. 2 among the major nets to "Idol" in viewers and young adults, beating the season finale of NBC's "Off their Rockers" (5.4 million and 1.5/5) by 20% and 33%, respectively.
· Gaining over the prior week in Adults 18-49 (+5%), "The Middle" equaled a 6-week high - since 4/11/12. In addition, the ABC comedy matched a 12-week high with Adults 18-34 - since 2/29/12.
· Improving for its second straight year (+4%), ABC's "The Middle" marked its top-rated season yet in Adults 18-49.
"Modern Family-R" (8:30-9:00 p.m.)
At 8:30 p.m. among Adults 18-49, a repeat "Modern Family" (2.1/6) beat out CBS' encore "Two and a Half Men" by 75% (1.2/4) and NBC's encore "Off their Rockers" by 40% (1.5/5).
"Modern Family" (9:00-9:32 p.m.)
TV's No. 1 scripted series for the 2nd straight season in Adults 18-49, ABC's season closer of "Modern Family" vaulted over its lead-in to stand as Wednesday's No. 1 scripted program in both viewers (10.1 million) and young adults (4.1/11). The ABC comedy qualified as Wednesday's No. 1 scripted show on each original telecast this season with young adults.
· "Modern Family" was up week to week in both viewers (+7%) and young adults (+5%). Posting its best-ever season, on average, ABC's "Modern Family" surged over last season by double-digit percentages in Total Viewers (+10%) and Adults 18-49 (+17%).
"Don't Trust the B--- in Apartment 23" (9:32-10:00 p.m.)
During the 9:30 p.m. half-hour against the conclusion of "Idol," the freshman season finale of ABC's "Don't Trust the B--- in Apartment 23" ranked as the No. 1 scripted series in its slot among the major nets with Adults 18-49 (2.4/6).
· Shooting up over the prior week with viewers (+19%) and young adults (+26%), "Don't Trust the B--- in Apartment 23" hit its highest Adult 18-49 number in 5 weeks - since 4/18/12. The show also marked best-since premiere numbers with Adults 18-34 and key Men (M18-34/M18-49), despite facing NBA Playoff coverage on ESPN.
· The new ABC comedy improved its slot year to year in Total Viewers (+8% - 5.6 million vs. 5.2 million) and Adults 18-49 (+20% - 2.4/6 vs. 2.0/5), pacing ahead of the year-ago season finale for "Cougar Town."
"Revenge" (10:00-11:00 p.m.)
ABC's freshman season finale of "Revenge" finished as the No. 1 series in the 10 o'clock hour, beating out the season ender of NBC's veteran "Law & Order: SVU" in the hour by wide margins with Total Viewers (+10% - 7.9 million vs. 7.2 million), Adults 18-49 (+20% - 2.4/7 vs. 2.0/5) and Adults 25-54 (+20% - 3.0/7 vs. 2.5/6).
· Jumping by double digits across the board week to week, "Revenge" drew its biggest audience in 20 weeks and equaled 15-week highs with Adults 18-49 and Adults 25-54 - since 1/4/12 and 2/8/12, respectively.
· The Disney-owned drama produced substantial year-to-year gains in the hour, outdelivering season-finale programming on the same night last year in Viewers (+80%), Adults 25-54 (+43%) and Adults 18-49 (+33%). On average, "Revenge" capped out its first season as ABC's most-watched series in the hour in 5 years - since "Lost" during the 2006-07 season.
Thursday
ABC finished as the No. 2 broadcaster on Thursday evening in Total Viewers (6.5 million) and Adults 18-49 (1.6/5-tie).
Please Note: On the Thursday leading into the Memorial Holiday weekend, overall TV usage levels declined week to week by -5% among Adults 18-49 (32.1 vs. 33.8).
"Duets" (8:00-10:00 p.m.)
Head to head from 8:00-10:00 p.m., ABC's series debut of "Duets" outdrew Fox's season premiere of "So You Think You Can Dance," leading by 8% in Total Viewers (6.8 million vs. 6.3 million). In addition, the new ABC unscripted show was the No. 2 series in the 2-hour time period with young adults (AD18-34/AD18-49), while finishing second among the broadcasters with Teens 12-17. The ABC singing competition gained 6% among young adults (1.7/6 to 1.8/5) from its first to its second hour.
· "Duets" greatly improved its time period for ABC over the year-ago night in Total Viewers (+55% - 6.8 million vs. 4.4 million) and Adults 18-49 (+55% - 1.7/6 vs. 1.1/4), representing the Net's biggest audience in the slot on the first post-season Thursday in 4 years and its top young adult number in 3 years - since 2008 and 2009, respectively.
"Rookie Blue" (10:00-11:00 p.m.)
In the 10 o'clock hour, ABC's season premiere of "Rookie Blue" premiered as the No. 2 series in Total Viewers (6.1 million) and ranked No. 1 with Women 25-54.
· Topping its year-ago premiere at the end of June (+5% - 5.8 million on 6/23/11), "Rookie Blue" opened its 3rd season with its most-watched telecast since August 2010 - since 8/19/10. In addition, among Adults 18-49, the show topped last season's finale by 17% and outdelivered its last 9 telecasts - best since 7/14/11.
Friday
With repeat telecasts of "Shark Tank" and "Primetime: What Would You Do?" leading into an original "20/20," ABC ranked No. 1 versus its network rivals in Adults 18-49 (1.2/4). "20/20" (1.5/5) and "What Would You Do?" (1.2/4) ranked as Friday's Top 2 TV shows on the major nets in the key young adult sales demo.
· Jumping over the year-ago night by 29% in Total Viewers (4.4 million vs. 2.9 million) and by 50% among young adults (1.2/4 vs. 0.8/3), ABC delivered its strongest first post-season Friday in 5 years and 4 years - since 2007 and 2008, respectively.
"20/20" (10:00-11:00 p.m.)
ABC's "20/20" was the No. 1 program of the night on the major networks among Adults 18-49 (1.5/5) and Adults 25-54 (1.9/6).
· Building week to week by double-digits in Total Viewers (+14%), Adults 18-49 (+25%) and Adults 25-54 (+27%), "20/20" attracted its biggest audience in 3 weeks, while matching a 6-week in Adults 18-49 and a 4-week high in Adults 25-54 - since 4/13/12 and 4/27/12, respectively.
· "20/20" also surged over its year-ago telecast by 43% in viewers, 67% in Adults 18-49 and 58% in Adults 25-54.
Saturday
With coverage of the 2012 NBA Conference Semi-Finals (Philadelphia at Boston), ABC easily won Saturday, outpacing Fox with Baseball coverage by 150% in Total Viewers (7.0 million vs. 2.8 million) and 333% in Adults 18-49 (2.6/11 vs. 0.6/2). In fact, ABC beat the other major networks combined (CBS, NBC, and Fox) by 73% in Adults 18-49 (2.6/11 vs. 1.5/5). In addition, ABC qualified as the No. 1 network on the evening in Adults 18-34, Adults 25-54 and across all key Men demographics (M18-34/M18-49/M25-54).
· Airing from 7:59-10:46 p.m., the "NBA Playoffs on ABC" stood as the definitive No. 1 TV show on Saturday among Total Viewers (7.0 million) and Adults 18-49 (2.6/11).
· The Net posted its strongest Saturday in 5 months among both viewers and young adults - since 12/31/11.
Source: The Nielsen Company (National, Live+ Same Day Program Ratings), week of 05/21/12.
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