ABC finished a solid second on Wednesday night in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, while winning the night in Adults 18-34 and Women 18-34. Posting strong year-over-year gains in viewers (+38%) and young adults (+33%), ABC grew over the year-ago Wednesday for the 5th straight week. The Net tallied its top Wednesday this season in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49 (tie), posting its best performance on the evening in 11 months – since 12/9/09.
ABC’s 8-10pm comedy block continued to build year to year, surging by 2.6 million viewers and by 38% in Adults 18-49 from the same night a year ago.
Hitting season-highs for the 2nd week in a row, ABC’s The Middle continued to run a competitive second at 8pm to CBS’ Survivor: Nicaragua among viewers and young adults, holding wide advantages over programming on NBC and Fox. The Middle won its slot for the 2nd straight week with Women 18-34, beating out Survivor by 17%. In addition, the ABC sophomore rose sharply from its year-ago performance (when it aired at 8:30pm) and also improved the 8pm half-hour for ABC year to year. The Middle matched its highest-ever numbers in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49 (tying the previous week), while also hitting series-best numbers with AD25-54 and AD18-34.
Building its overall audience for the 2nd week in a row to deliver its most-watched telecast ever, Better with You earned a solid second place at 8:30pm with viewers and young adults. The ABC freshman comedy once again towered over its freshman competition in the half-hour, topping NBC’s Undercovers by 34% in Total Viewers and by a best-ever margin of 92% in Adults 18-49. Better with You improved its half-hour for ABC from the same night last year in both Total Viewers (+32%) and Adults 18-49 (+32%). The new ABC comedy drew its biggest audience yet and tied a series-high in Adults 18-49. Better with You also notched series-highs with other key demos: AD25-54, W18-49, W18-34 and Teens 12-17.
Standing as Wednesday’s #1 TV show for the 7th straight week this season, ABC’s Modern Family posted a convincing victory in the 9pm half-hour, beating CBS’ Criminal Minds by 23%. Modern Family bettered its year-ago performance for the 7th week running this season, jumping over the same night last year by 3.4 million viewers and by 37% in Adults 18-49.
ABC’s Cougar Town won its 9:30pm half hour with Adults 18-34 for the 3rd time in 4 telecasts and delivered the #1 position with Women 18-34 for the 5th straight week. Cougar Town was up from its performance on the same night last year by 9% in Total Viewers and by 7% in Adults 18-49.
ABC’s In the Spotlight with Robin Roberts: All Access Nashville produced season highs for ABC in Wednesday’s 10pm hour with Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, drawing the Net’s biggest overall audience in the time period since last December (12/9/09). Opposite original drama competition on CBS (The Defenders) and NBC (Law & Order: LA), ABC’s Robin Roberts special earned second place in the time period with Adults 18-49 and Women 18-34.
(source: ABC)
