During the week of 11/26/12, ABC qualified as the 2nd-most-watched network to CBS, outdrawing an NFL-fueled NBC. And excluding sports, ABC beat out NBC in Adults 18-49 by 10%. The Net delivered 5 of the Top 20 TV shows in Adults 18-49, including Modern Family, Once Upon a Time, Grey’s Anatomy, DWTS: Results Show and A Charlie Brown Christmas. Closing out at season highs to place among the week’s Top 5 most-watched TV shows, in their season finales ABC’s DWTS: All-Stars and DWTS: All Stars – Results Show stood as the Top 2 unscripted series for the 3rd week in a row, as the Net claimed the #1 unscripted show overall for the 8th week running. ABC’s numbers surged by double-digits over the year-ago week (w/o 11/28/12) in Total Viewers (+23%) and Adults 18-49 (+17%).
Season-to-Date C3 Ratings: ABC is the #1 network this season in the sales currency of C3 non-sports Adult 18-49 ratings (Commercial Ratings + 3 Days of Playback), outdelivering CBS by 5%, Fox by 10% and NBC by 10%.
Monday: Surging from its first half-hour to its second half-hour, the Monday performance finale of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars: All-Stars won its 8pm time slot and stood as Monday’s most-watched TV program overall for the 7th week in a row, outdrawing NBC’s The Voice in head-to-head competition by 5.0 million viewers. In addition, ABC’s DWTS outdelivered Fox’s Bones in the hour by 13% in Adults 18-49. Building week to week in Total Viewers (+14%) and Adults 18-49 (+13%), DWTS hit season highs on both Nielsen measures. During the 9 o’clock hour against the second hour of NBC’s The Voice and CBS’ original comedies (2 Broke Girls/Mike & Molly), part 1 of the first of four 2-part holiday installments of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition beat out Fox’s Mob Doctor by 2.7 million viewers and by 18% in Adults 18-49. The ABC unscripted series marked its most-watched telecast since October 2011 (10/16/11), outdrawing it last 19 telecasts. EM: HE boosted its time period by 2.2 million viewers over original programming on the same night last year. At 10 pm opposite stiff competition from first-run dramas on CBS (Hawaii Five-0) and NBC (Revolution), part 2 of EM:HE retained 92% of its Adult 18-49 lead-in from part 1.
Tuesday: Boosted by the season finale of Dancing with the Stars: All-Stars, ABC won Tuesday in Adults 18-49. In viewers and young adults, ABC marked its strongest Tuesday of the season with entertainment programming on the night. At 8pm, ABC’s rebroadcast of Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas hit a season high for ABC in the time period among Adults 18-49 with entertainment programming. Winning its slot to finish as the night’s #2 show with Kids 2-11 (behind only lead-out Shrek the Halls), the animated holiday special posted the Net’s best rating in the time period nearly 2 years – since 12/7/10. Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas drew its biggest audience in 3 years – since 11/30/09. Building on its lead-in in the 8:30pm half-hour, ABC’s Shrek the Halls replay also marked the Net’s best Adult 18-49 number in the time slot with entertainment programming this season. Shrek the Halls led its slot with Kids 2-11 to stand as the evening’s #1 TV show and deliver a 2-year high in the time period for ABC – since 11/30/10. Like its lead-in, Shrek the Halls pulled in the special’s largest audience since 2009 – since 11/30/09. Leaping over its lead-in at 9pm and building from its first to second hour, ABC’s grand finale of DWTS: All-Stars ranked #1 in all 4 of its half-hours in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49. Dancing was far and away Tuesday’s most-watched unscripted show, topping The Voice (from 8-9pm) by a season-best 5.1 million viewers. ABC’s DWTS: All Stars – Results Show won over all-original competition in its 2-hour time period, leading CBS’ combination of NCIS: LA and Vegas, NBC’s comedies (Go On/The New Normal) and Parenthood, and Fox’s comedies (New Girl/Mindy Project). In fact from 10:30-11pm, the veteran ABC unscripted show towered over its final half-hour, beating the combined delivery of CBS’ Vegas and NBC’s Parenthood by 4.5 million viewers and by 3% in Adults 18-49. Melissa Rycroft was crowned champion of Season 15 and awarded the coveted mirror ball trophy. Spiking week to week by 28% in viewers and by 50% in young adults and building over its Monday finale (+2%/+11%), DWTS: All-Stars closed out with its best numbers on any night this season.
Wednesday: With A Charlie Brown Christmas, Modern Family, Suburgatory and Nashville, ABC finished in a near tie for #1 on Wednesday night with Fox in Adults 18-49 (pacing within 1-tenth of a rating point and tied in audience share), taking the top position for the 2nd night in a row. The Net claimed the Top 2 TV shows of the night with Modern Family and A Charlie Brown Christmas. The Network equaled a 7-week high among young adults on Wednesday – since 10/10/12. Hitting a season high in the time period, ABC’s annual rebroadcast of A Charlie Brown Christmas won the 8 o’clock hour in Adults 18-49, beating the first hour of Fox’s The X Factor by 4%, CBS’ Survivor: Philippines by 7% and NBC’s Christmas at Rockefeller Center special by 38%. Up year to year in Adults 18-49 (+4%), A Charlie Brown Christmas scored its best number in 3 years – since 12/8/09. Wednesday’s #1 TV show with Kids 2-11, the animated PEANUTS special scored ABC’s highest rating in the time slot in 5 years – since 12/5/07. A Charlie Brown Christmas stands as the highest-rated holiday special so far this season in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49. Building sharply on its lead-in (+62%) to dominate the 9pm half-hour in Adults 18-49, ABC’s Modern Family defeated CBS’ Criminal Minds by 62%, The X Factor by 62% and NBC’s SNL Christmas special by 74%. ABC’s Modern Family qualified as Wednesday’s #1 TV show for its 8th straight original telecast across all key Adult demos (AD18-34/AD18-49/AD25-54). Returning to original after the prior week’s repeat, Modern Family increased over its last original airing in both Total Viewers (+1%) and Adults 18-49 (+2%). In addition, the ABC family comedy spiked 67% over its last original with Kids 2-11 to mark a new series high. In the 9:30pm half-hour, ABC’s Suburgatory stood as the #1 scripted show in its slot with Adults 18-34, Women 18-34 and Men 18-49. Suburgatory was up over its last original by 4% in Adults 18-49. During the 10 o’clock hour, ABC freshman Nashville outdelivered CBS’ veteran CSI in Women 18-34 (+11%) for its 7th consecutive original broadcast. Returning from the prior week’s pre-emption, the ABC drama retained 100% of its 2-week ago delivery with young Adults (AD18-34/AD18-49). Nashville continues to see enormous increases from its L+SD to L+7 numbers, jumping by 59% in Adults 18-49 (+1.3 rating) and by 43% in Total Viewers (+3.06 million), making it the 2nd-biggest young adult gainer this season among both new shows and 10pm series.
Thursday: Returning strong after the prior week’s Thanksgiving preemption, ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy more than tripled its lead-in among Adults 18-49 9pm (+210% over Last Resort) to win in its hour and stand as Thursday’s #1 drama for its 7th straight telecast this season. During the 9’clock hour among young adults, ABC’s Grey’s beat out CBS’ Person of Interest by 7%, Fox’s Glee by 41% and NBC’s comedies by 94% (The Office/Parks and Recreation). In addition, the ABC drama once again dominated the hour with Adults 18-34 and across all key Women demos (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54). Building its Adult 18-34 audience for its 3rd consecutive telecast, Grey’s posted its highest rating in 7 weeks – since 10/4/12. ABC’s Scandal caught CBS’ Elementary to rank as the #1 series in the 10 o’clock hour with Adults 18-49, while leading by best-ever margins over NBC’s Rock Center with Brian Williams in Total Viewers (+94%) and Adults 18-49 (+144%). Additionally, Scandal led by double digits over Elementary with Adults 18-34 and across all key Women (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54), winning the hour for its 3rd straight airing with W18-49 and W25-54. Surging over its most recent telecast 2 weeks ago in viewers (+10%) and young adults (+10%), Scandal drew its 2nd-largest audience of the season and posted a new season high in Adults 18-49. In addition the show spiked over its last telecast by 13% in Adults 18-34 and by 19% in Women 18-34, equaling series highs on both counts.
Friday: With its 8-9pm comedies (Last Man Standing/Malibu Country), a repeat Shark Tank and 20/20, ABC ranked #1 against its network rivals on Friday in Adults 18-49, tying CBS all-original schedule and pacing well ahead of both NBC (+78%) and Fox on the evening (+33%). In fact, it was the Net’s 5th straight Friday to lead the pack in the key young adult sales demo. Despite airing a repeat during the middle hour of prime, the Net was up sharply over the same night last year with an all-original schedule, in both viewers (+30%) and young adults (+33%). At 8pm, ABC’s Last Man Standing ran #1 in its half-hour versus its network rivals among Adults 18-49, tied with CBS’ Undercover Boss. Jumping 14% week to week in Adults 18-49, Last Man Standing equaled its 2nd-highest rating this season. Continuing to show strong lead-in retention (94%) at 8:30pm, ABC’s Malibu Country registered as the 2nd-most-watched TV show in its half-hour to Undercover Boss. Malibu Country grew 7% week to week in Adults 18-49 and spiked 33% in Teens 12-17, hitting a best-since-premiere number on the latter measure. During the 9 o’clock hour, ABC’s repeat Shark Tank ranked #1 on the major nets among Adults 18-49, beating CBS’ original CSI: NY by 7%. Building over the prior week’s encore by double digits in viewers (+12%) and young adults (+23%), ABC’s Shark Tank scored its highest-ever repeat performance on both counts. In fact, in the last two weeks, the show has delivered its 2 biggest-ever repeat audiences. Please Note: Shark Tank is airing a special Christmas-themed episode this coming Tuesday from 8-9pm on 12/4/12. Building on its lead-in, ABC’s 20/20 stood as the #1 TV show in the 10 o’clock hour for the 2nd week in a row with Adults 18-49 and Adults 25-54. In the hour, ABC’s 20/20 towered over NBC’s Dateline in head-to-head competition by 1.4 million viewers, by 55% in Adults 18-49 and by 44% in Adults 25-54. 20/20 reported on true confessions from insiders and whistleblowers. 20/20 increased its numbers for the 2nd straight week in Adults 18-49 (+13%) and Adults 25-54 (+10%), posting 11-week highs in both counts – best numbers since its season premiere on 9/14/12. ABC’s 20/20 jumped over its year-ago performance in Total Viewers (+27%), Adults 18-49 (+31%) and Adults 25-54 (+35%). In fact, the ABC newsmagazine was up year to year in the key Adult 25-54 news demo for its 6th straight broadcast.
Sunday: Opposite another big Sunday Night Football game (Philadelphia Eagles-Dallas Cowboys) and a huge NFL primetime overrun on CBS, ABC grew its Sunday numbers week to week and beat out Fox on the night 3.3 million viewers and by 24% in Adults 18-49. Gaining 12% in viewers week to week during the 7 o’clock hour against CBS’ NFL overrun, ABC’s America’s Funniest Home Videos posted its most-watched broadcast of the season to pull in its biggest audience in nearly 9 months – since 3/14/12. AFHV built sharply year to year, besting its year-ago telecast by 23% in Total Viewers and by 14% in Adults 18-49. At 8pm, the winter finale of ABC’s Once Upon a Time surged over its Adult 18-49 lead-in (+94%) to rank #1 against its non-sports competition and stand as Sunday’s highest-rated scripted broadcast series. In addition, the ABC drama stood as the #1 TV program in its time period for the 2nd week in a row with key Women (W18-34/W18-49). ABC’s Once Upon a Time scores substantial gains via time-shifted playback, spiking over its preliminary numbers by 3.1 million viewers and by 1.4 Adult 18-49 rating points (+42%) in the final L+7 Day ratings. Increasing over the prior week, Once Upon a Time attracted its biggest audience since the beginning of November – since 11/4/12. In addition, the ABC drama was up week to week in Men 18-34 (+6%), Men 18-49 (+10%) and Kids 2-11 (+40%), while holding 100% of its Adult 18-49 audience. Up week to week in the 9 o’clock hour among Adults 18-49 (+9%), ABC’s winter finale of Revenge tied its NFL-fueled competition on CBS (Amazing Race/The Good Wife) and topped Fox’s animated comedies by 20% (Family Guy/American Dad). In fact, the ABC sophomore drama outdelivered CBS’ competing drama The Good Wife for the 9th straight telecast this season. Like its lead-in, Revenge surges in TV playback this season, jumping by 3.0 million viewers and by 1.3 Adult 18-49 rating points (+48%) from its first-reported numbers to its L+7 ratings. Revenge built over the previous week in Total Viewers (+12%), Adults 25-54 (+4%), Adults 18-49 (+9%) and Adults 18-34 (+6%), earning its best number in a month on the latter measure – since 11/4/12. Season to date, the ABC sophomore series is up from the same point in its freshman frame in both Total Viewers (+2%) and Adults 18-49 (+3%).
