Primetime Ratings Report
For the week of September 13, 2010
(Based on National Live + Same Day Program Ratings)
ABC Finishes the 52-Week Season with an Increase in Overall Viewership,
Up Over the Year-Ago Frame in Adults 18-49 on 17 of the Last 18 Weeks
ABC Draws its Most Viewers in 6 Weeks and Top Adult 18-49 Rating Since June
ABC Claims 3 of the Week's Top 15 Television Shows Among Adults 18-49
ABC is Up Year to Year on Monday for the 6th Time in 7 Weeks in Adults 18-49
On Average During its 1st Season Run, "Bachelor Pad" Improves its Monday
Time Period for ABC by Nearly 1.0 million Viewers and 47% in Adults 18-49
During its 2nd Season, "Dating in the Dark" Grows its Slot by 23% in Adults 18-49
ABC Posts its Top Tuesday Since June, Up Year to Year on the Night for the
10th Straight Week and on 16 of the Last 17 Weeks in Viewers and Young Adults
ABC's "Wipeout" is No. 1 at 8pm in Adults 18-49 for the 4th Straight Telecast, Dominating NBC's Original "Minute To Win It" by 47% in Young Adults
Marking its Strongest-Ever Season Finale, ABC's "Wipeout" Season Ender Surges
Year to Year by 24%, Despite Airing Opposite NBC's Tuesday "Talent" Finale
"Final Witness" Draws ABC's Largest Non-Sports Audience at 10pm Since June, Topping CBS' "Fashion's Night Out" by 74% in Viewers and 117% in Adults 18-49
"20/20" Opens its Season as Friday's No. 1 TV Show with its Top Premiere in 4 Years
ABC Wins with "Saturday Night Football," Marking its Strongest Performance on
The Night in 9 Months and its Top-Rated College Football Game in Nearly 1 Year
WEEK No. 52:
During the week of September 13, 2010, ABC posted double-digit percentage growth over the same week last year in both Total Viewers (+18% - 5.2 million vs. 4.4 million) and Adults 18-49 (+14% - 1.6/5 vs. 1.4/4). Consistently outperforming year-ago results, the Net built its numbers year to year for the 17th time in 18 weeks in Adults 18-49 and for the 16th time in 18 weeks in Total Viewers. ABC finished out the 52-week 2009-10 season posting a year-to-year increase in overall viewership (+3% - 7.7 million vs. 7.5 million), while holding 100% of its audience across each of the key Adult demographics: AD18-34 (2.0/6), AD18-49 (2.4/7) and AD25-54 (2.9/7).
· ABC drew its biggest overall audience in 6 weeks, while matching its highest Adult 18-49 rating since June with coverage of the NBA Finals- since w/o 8/9/10 and w/o 6/14/10, respectively.
Rankings: ABC claimed 3 of the week's Top 15 TV shows among Adults 18-49: "Wipeout-TUES" - No. 9, "Wipeout SP-9/14" - No. 12 and "Saturday Night Football" - No. 14.
A note about increasing DVR penetration and year-to-year rating comparisons: Year-to-year rating comparisons based on the Live + Same Day data stream are distorted by the level of DVR penetration in the Nielsen sample, which has jumped up to 38% currently, from 32% at the same point in 2009. More viewers are watching shows on their own timetables, which may not be reflected in the overnight next day numbers. The only truly valid year-to-year comparison would be one based on the Live + 7 Day metric, once those stats are released by Nielsen.
Monday
ABC's lineup ranked No. 2 among the major networks on Monday in Adults 18-49 (1.6/4).
· ABC saw increases over the year-ago Monday (9/14/09) of 28% in Total Viewers (5.0 million vs. 3.9 million) and 45% in Adults 18-49 (1.6/4 vs. 1.1/3), up year to year among young adults for the 6th time in the last 7 weeks.
"Bachelor Pad" (8:00-10:01 p.m.)
The first season finale of ABC's "Bachelor Pad" led its 2-hour time period among the major networks across each of the key Women demos: W18-34 (2.7/8), W18-49 (2.7/7) and W25-54 (3.2/8). Natalie Getz and David Good won the first season of "Bachelor Pad," splitting the $250,000 prize.
· On average during its 6-week run, "Bachelorette Pad" was up over the Net's 8:00-10:00 p.m. averages on the same nights the previous year by nearly 1.0 million viewers (6.2 million vs. 5.3 million) and by 47% in Adults 18-49 (2.2/6 vs. 1.5/4).
"Dating in the Dark" (10:01-11:00 p.m.)
The second season closer of ABC's "Dating in the Dark" grew over the previous week in both Total Viewers (+7% - 3.2 million vs. 3.0 million) and Women 18-34 (+7% - 1.6/5 vs. 1.5/5).
· On average during its second season, "Dating in the Dark" improved ABC's numbers in the hour over the same weeks last year by 56% in Adults 18-34 (1.4/4 vs. 0.9/3) and by 23% in Adults 18-49 (1.6/4 vs. 1.3/4).
Tuesday
ABC placed second on Tuesday in Adults 18-49 (2.2/7), turning in the Net's best non-sports performance on the night in the key young adult demo in over 3 months - since 6/1/10.
· Growing on the night for the 10th consecutive week, ABC built solidly over the year-ago Tuesday (9/15/09) in Total Viewers (+33% - 6.2 million vs. 4.6 million) and Adults 18-49 (+47% - 2.2/7 vs. 1.5/4). The Net has been up year to year on Tuesday evening on 16 of the last 17 weeks.
"Wipeout-TUES" (8:00-9:01 p.m.)
In its final telecast in the time period this season, ABC's "Wipeout" won the 8:00-9:00 p.m. hour among Adults 18-49 (2.8/9) for the 4th straight telecast, dominating its unscripted competition, NBC's original "Minute to Win It" (1.9/6), by 47% in the key young adult demo.
· "Wipeout" stood as Tuesday's No. 2 TV show among Adults 18-49, behind only NBC's Tuesday finale of "America's Got Talent" and topping the "Talent"-led season premiere of "Parenthood."
"Wipeout" (9:01-10:01 p.m.)
Opposite NBC's "America's Got Talent," the season finale of ABC's "Wipeout" scored the Net's strongest non-sports delivery in the 9 o'clock hour in Adults 18-49 (2.6/7) since June - since 6/1/10.
· Jumping over last year's finale by 24% in Adults 18-49 (2.6/7 vs. 2.1/7 on 9/16/09), ABC's "Wipeout" marked the series' highest-ever season finale.
"Final Witness" (10:01-11:00 p.m.)
ABC's special "Final Witness" drew the Net's largest non-sports audience (4.7 million) at 10:00 p.m. in over 3 months - since 6/1/10. "Final Witness" outperformed CBS' "Fashion's Night Out 2010" by 74% in Total Viewers (4.7 million vs. 2.7 million) and by 117% in Adults 18-49 (1.3/4 vs. 0.6/2).
Friday
Beating out its network rivals on Friday among Adults 18-49, ABC (1.4/5) outdelivered NBC by 17% (1.2/5), CBS by 56% (0.9/3) and Fox by133% (0.6/2).
"20/20" (10:00-11:00 p.m.)
The season premiere of ABC News' "20/20" won the 10 o'clock hour in Total Viewers (7.1 million), Adults 18-49 (1.9/7) and Adults 25-54 (2.4/7). In fact, the ABC newsmagazine qualified as the No. 1 regular television show in its time slot with Adults 18-49 for the 10th time in 11 weeks. In addition, "20/20" ranked as Friday's top newsmagazine, topping NBC News' 2-hour "Dateline" (8:00 - 10:00 p.m.) by solid margins in Total Viewers (+11% - 7.1 million vs. 6.4 million), Adults 18-49 (+36% - 1.9/7 vs. 1.4/5) and Adults 25-54 (+26% - 2.4/7 vs. 1.9/6). The newsmagazine featured an Elizabeth Vargas report on a murder mystery that played out over 25 years and came to a surprise ending in a North Carolina courtroom this past April.
· "20/20" was up over its year-ago season premiere (9/11/09) by 2.0 million viewers (7.1 million vs. 5.1 million), by 36% in Adults 18-49 (1.9/7 vs. 1.4/4) and by 41% in Adults 25-54 (2.4/7 vs. 1.7/5). In fact, "20/20" scored its strongest season premiere numbers across all three Nielsen measures in 4 years - since 2006.
· "20/20" stood as Friday's No. 1 TV program in Total Viewers and Adults 25-54.
· "20/20" drew its largest audience since February and turned in its highest Adults 18-49 and Adults 25-54 performance since January - since 2/5/10 and 1/8/10, respectively.
Saturday
With coverage of "Saturday Night Football" (Texas vs. Texas Tech/Notre Dame vs. Michigan State), ABC dominated the evening, outpacing its nearest competition by 64% in Adults 18-49 (2.3/8 vs. 1.4/5 - Fox).
· ABC's "Saturday Night Football" stood as the No. 1 TV show on Saturday among young adults. In addition among Total Viewers (7.5 million) and Adults 18-49 (2.5/9), it was ABC's biggest "Saturday Night Football" game in nearly 1-year - since 10/3/09.
· In viewers and young adults, the Network posted its strongest Saturday in more than 9 months - since 12/5/09.
Source: The Nielsen Company (National Live+Same Day Program Ratings), week of 9/13/10, unless stated otherwise.
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