Primetime Ratings Report
For the week of February 13, 2012
(Based on National Live + Same Day Program Ratings)
Building for the 2nd Week in a Row to its Biggest Audience in 5 Weeks,
ABC Qualifies as the Only Net to Grow its Viewer Count Year to Year
ABC's "The Bachelor" Dominates Fox's Monday Dramas in Viewers & Young Adults
Gaining Week to Week and Year to Year, ABC's "Castle" Outdraws NBC's "Smash"
ABC's "Last Man Standing" is Tuesday's Top Comedy, Outdrawing Fox's "New Girl"
Exhibiting Improved Lead-in Retention on Tuesday at 8:30pm, the Season Opener
Of ABC's "Cougar Town" Boosts its Time Slot by 20% in Adults 18-49 Year to Year
ABC's "Body of Proof" Outdelivers NBC's "Parenthood" by 1.8 Million Viewers
ABC Surges on Wednesday Year to Year, as CBS, NBC and Fox Decline
ABC's "The Middle" is Up Year Over Year Against CBS' "Survivor" Premiere
Boosting its Slot, ABC's "Suburgatory" Beats "Survivor" Across the 18-34 Demos
ABC's "Modern Family" Generates its 2nd-Best-Ever Numbers Opposite "Idol"
ABC's "Happy Endings" is the No. 1 Scripted Show in its Half-Hour with Adults 18-34
"Revenge" Grows its Slot by Huge Margins Year to Year in Viewers and Young Adults
More than Doubling its Adult 18-49 Lead-in Against the 2nd Hour of "Idol,"
ABC's "Grey's" Finishes as Thursday's No. 1 Drama for its 14th Straight Original
Hitting 6-Week Highs and Gaining Year to Year, ABC's "Private Practice" Scores
Its Strongest Lead-in Retention Out of an Original "Grey's" Since November 2010
ABC's "20/20" Dominates its 2-Hour Time Slot in Key Adults on Friday, as the Newsmagazine Marks its Most-Watched Telecast on the Night in Over 2 Years
"America's Funniest Home Videos" Scores Season-Highs for the 2nd Week Running
ABC's "Once Upon a Time" Builds to Dominate its Time Slot Among Adults 18-49
ABC's "Desperate Housewives" and "Pan Am" Each Post Big Week-to-Week Gains
WEEK No. 22:
During the week of February 13, 2012, ABC delivered 3 of the Top 15 TV shows in Adults 18-49, including the top-rated freshman drama with "Once Upon a Time:" "Modern Family" - No. 5, "Grey's Anatomy" - No. 12 and "Once Upon a Time" - No. 15. Based on projected DVR playback (+2.4 rating point gain), ABC's "Modern Family" will once again finish as the week's No. 1 scripted program in the final Live + 7 Day Adult 18-49 ratings. ABC's "20/20" qualified as the week's No. 1 newsmagazine among key Adults (AD18-49/AD25-54). In fact in Adults 18-49, ABC claimed the top-rated newsmagazine for the 5th time in 6 weeks.
· Growing its viewer count for the 2nd week running, ABC generated its biggest audience in 5 weeks - since w/o 1/9/12.
· ABC was the only net up over the same week last year (w/o 2/14/11) in Total Viewers (6.7 million vs. 6.6 million), while retaining 100% of its year-ago Adult 18-49 number (2.0/6).
Monday
Opposite NBC's "The Voice" and CBS' original Monday schedule, ABC's combination of "The Bachelor" and "Castle" defeated Fox's original drama lineup ("House"/"Alcatraz") during primetime in Total Viewers (8.3 million vs. 6.7 million) and Adults 18-49 (2.3/6 vs. 2.1/5). The Net once again held the No. 2 position on the night with Women 18-34 and was the 2nd-highest-rated broadcaster with Teens 12-17.
"The Bachelor" (8:00-10:01 p.m.)
Facing "The Voice" and CBS' first-run comedy block, ABC's "The Bachelor" grew its audience from its first hour to its second hour, beating out Fox's dramas in head-to-head competition from 8:00-10:00 p.m. by an even wider margin this week of 1.4 million viewers (8.1 million vs. 6.7 million) and by 19% in Adults 18-49 (2.5/6 vs. 2.1/5). The ABC unscripted series earned second in its time slot with its core audience of Women 18-34, beating CBS' comedy block by 15% (3.1/8 vs. 2.7/7).
"Castle" (10:01-11:00 p.m.)
During the 10 o'clock hour, ABC's "Castle" built on its lead-in to draw 10% more viewers than NBC's "Voice-"fueled "Smash" (8.9 million vs. 8.1 million). "Castle" also finished as the No. 2 drama in the hour with Women 18-34.
· ABC's "Castle" grew its overall audience week to week and was also up over the same week last year.
Tuesday
With its 8:00-9:00 p.m. comedies ("Last Man Standing"/"Cougar Town"), "The River" and "Body of Proof," ABC was up over the same Tuesday last year (also an all-original schedule on 2/15/11) by 12% in Total Viewers (5.8 million vs. 5.2 million) and by 7% in Adults 18-49 (1.6/5 vs. 1.5/4).
Please note: On Valentine's Day, overall Adult 18-49 TV usage levels were down a significant -7.7% from the prior Tuesday (36.3% vs. 39.1%).
"Last Man Standing" (8:00-8:30 p.m.)
At 8:00 p.m. against CBS' top-rated "NCIS," ABC's "Last Man Standing" (7.6 million) outdrew Fox's "Glee" (6.8 million) by 12% and NBC's "The Biggest Loser" by 29% (5.9 million) in Total Viewers.
· ABC self-starter "Last Man Standing" at 8:00 p.m. continued to finish as Tuesday's most-watched comedy overall, outdrawing Fox's "Glee"-led "New Girl" (6.5 million) at 9:00 p.m. by 1.1 million viewers.
"Cougar Town" (8:30-9:00 p.m.)
Delivering greatly improved lead-in retention in the slot out of "Last Man Standing" at 8:30 p.m. (82% vs. 69% on average this season), ABC's season premiere of "Cougar Town" posted impressive year-over-year growth in the half-hour, surging by 20% in Adults 18-49 over original programming on the same night last year (1.8/5 vs. 1.5/4 = "No Ordinary Family").
· In addition to earning improved lead-in retention at 8:30 p.m. with Adults 18-49 (82%) and Adults 18-34 (92%), "Cougar Town" built on its lead-in by 15% with Women 18-34.
"The River" (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
During the 9 o'clock hour, ABC's "The River" built on its lead-in among Total Viewers (+4% - 5.0 million vs. 4.8 million), while holding nearly its entire Adult 18-49 lead (94% - 1.7/5 vs. 1.8/5).
"Body of Proof" (10:00-11:00 p.m.)
On its first original telecast in 4 weeks, ABC's "Body of Proof" built sharply on its lead-in at 10:00 p.m. (+26%) to outdraw NBC's "Parenthood" during the hour by 1.8 million viewers (6.3 million vs. 4.5 million).
· The ABC sophomore drama improved its hour year to year by 1.1 million viewers, topping original drama programming on the same night last year ("Detroit 1-8-7" = 5.2 million).
Wednesday
Opposite Fox with a 2-hour "American Idol" comprising its entire Wednesday lineup, ABC finished in a virtual tie with CBS (with the "Survivor" premiere) in Adults 18-49, pacing within 1-tenth of a rating point (2.8/7 vs. 2.9/8). ABC beat out fifth-place NBC (1.3/3) on the night by 115%. In addition, the Net ran No. 2 to Fox on the evening with Adults 18-34, Men 18-34 and Women 18-34.
· Wednesday's dominant No. 1 scripted show in Adults 18-49, ABC's "Modern Family" also tied "Idol" to stand as the night's No. 1 TV show with Men 18-34 for the 2nd week in a row.
· As CBS, NBC and Fox lost ground year to year, ABC shot up over the year-ago Wednesday (2/16/11) by 1.2 million viewers (7.9 million vs. 6.7 million) and by 22% in Adults 18-49 (2.8/7 vs. 2.3/7).
"The Middle" (8:00-8:30 p.m.)
Growing year to year at 8:00 p.m. against the "Survivor: One World" opener and "Idol," ABC's "The Middle" outdelivered its NBC comedy competition ("Whitney") by 3.5 million viewers (8.0 million vs. 4.5 million) and by 41% in Adults 18-49 (2.4/7 vs. 1.7/5). In addition, the ABC comedy outran "Survivor" by wide margins in Adults 18-34 (+21%), Men 18-34 (+27%) and Women 18-34 (+11%).
· "The Middle" was up over the same night last year in both viewers and young adults.
"Suburgatory" (8:30-9:00 p.m.)
Like its lead-in, ABC's "Suburgatory" towered over its comedy competition in the 8:30 p.m. half-hour, once again topping NBC's "Are You There, Chelsea?" by enormous margins in viewers (+103% - 6.9 million vs. 3.4 million) and young adults (+71% - 2.4/6 vs. 1.4/4). Impressively, the ABC freshman comedy defeated the second half of the "Survivor" opener by double digits across the 18-34 demographics: AD18-34 (+13%), M18-34 (+25%) and W18-34 (+11%).
· "Suburgatory" substantially improved its time period for ABC over the year-ago Wednesday against "Idol" and "Survivor" by 17% in Total Viewers and by 33% in Adults 18-49.
"Modern Family" (9:00-9:31 p.m.)
Scoring its 2nd-highest-ever number against an "Idol" telecast, ABC's "Modern Family" nearly doubled its lead-in at 9:00 p.m. to beat its nearest scripted competition in the slot by 52% in Adults 18-49 (4.7/12 vs. 3.1/8 - CBS' "Criminal Minds").
· Building over the same night last year in viewers (+6%) and young adults (+9%), ABC's "Modern Family" marked the series' 2nd-strongest performance to date opposite "American Idol" on both Nielsen measures.
"Happy Endings" (9:31-10:00 p.m.)
During the 9:30 p.m. half-hour, ABC's "Happy Endings" ranked No. 2 to "Idol" in Adults 18-34 (2.1/6), Women 18-34 and key Men 18-34.
"Revenge" (10:00-11:00 p.m.)
Finishing a strong No. 2 during the 10:00 p.m. hour, ABC freshman drama "Revenge" dominated NBC's veteran "L&O: SVU" in viewers (+31% - 7.7 million vs. 5.9 million) and young adults (+41% - 2.4/6 vs. 1.7/4). In addition, the Disney-owned drama once again placed No. 1 in the hour with Adults 18-34 and key Women (W18-34/W18-49).
· ABC's "Revenge" produced huge year-over-year improvement in Wednesday's 10 o'clock hour, jumping by 79% in Total Viewers and by 60% in Adults 18-49 over first-run drama programming on the year-ago evening ("Off the Map" on 2/16/11 = 4.3 million and 1.5/4).
Thursday
"Winter Wipeout" (8:00-9:00 p.m.)
From 8:00-9:00 p.m. opposite CBS' comedies ("The Big Bang Theory"/"Rob") and Fox's "American Idol," ABC's "Winter Wipeout" continued to outdraw NBC's comedies in the hour, beating the "30 Rock"/"Parks and Recreation" combo by 1.6 million viewers (5.1 million vs. 3.5 million).
· The ABC unscripted series gained viewers (+4% - 5.0 million to 5.2 million) and young adults (+7% - 1.4/4 to 1.5/4) from its first half-hour to its second half-hour.
"Grey's Anatomy" (9:00-10:02 p.m.)
More than doubling its lead-in (+113%) against the second half of Fox's 2-hour "Idol," ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" stood as the No. 1 scripted show in the 9 o'clock hour among Adults 18-49 (3.2/8), outdelivering CBS' "Person of Interest" by 14% (2.8/7) and NBC's comedies ("The Office"/"Up All Night") by 68% (1.9/5).
· ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" qualified as Thursday's No. 1 drama in the key young adult sales demographic for its 14th straight original telecast this season.
"Private Practice" (10:02-11:00 p.m.)
During the 10 o'clock hour in a crossover episode with "Grey's Anatomy," ABC's "Private Practice" delivered best-of-season lead-in retention (81%) to finish in a virtual tie with CBS' "The Mentalist" among Adults 18-49 (2.6/7 vs. 2.7/7 - pacing within 1-tenth of a rating point and even in audience share). In fact, "Private Practice" posted its strongest lead-in retention coming out of an original "Grey's" since November 2010 - since 11/4/10. Leading its CBS drama competition among younger viewers, ABC's "Private Practice" defeated "The Mentalist" by 46% in Adults 18-34 (1.9/6 vs. 1.3/4).
· Surging week to week in Total Viewers (+9% - 7.1 million vs. 6.5 million) and Adults 18-49 (+18% - 2.6/7 vs. 2.2/6), ABC's "Private Practice" marked 6-week highs on both Nielsen measures - since 1/5/12.
· The ABC drama grew over its year-ago telecast (6.7 million and 2.3/7 on 2/17/11) in both viewers (+6%) and young adults (+13%)
Friday
ABC won Friday among Adults 18-49 (1.9/6), posting a season high and finishing No. 1 on the evening for the 5th time in 6 weeks.
· In fact, ABC marked its most-watched Friday in more than 2 years (7.1 million) and hit its highest Adult 18-49 number on the night since December 2010 - since 1/1/10 and 12/31/10, respectively
"Shark Tank" (8:00-9:00 p.m.)
From 8:00-9:00 p.m., ABC's "Shark Tank" earned second place against its network rivals in Adults 18-49 (1.5/5), beating out Fox's "Kitchen Nightmares" by 15% (1.3/4). In addition, the ABC unscripted series once again stood as Friday's No. 1 show on the major nets with Teens 12-17.
· Posting big year-over-year gains for ABC in the hour, "Shark Tank" was up by 2.0 million viewers (5.7 million vs. 3.7 million) and by 50% in Adults 18-49 (1.5/4 vs. 1.0/4) over an original "Supernanny" on the same night last year (2/18/11).
"20/20: One Moment in Time: The Life of Whitney Houston" (9:00-11:00 p.m.)
From 9:00-11:00 p.m., ABC's "20/20" dominated its 2-hour time period in Adults 18-49 and Adults 25-54, leading CBS' original dramas ("A Gifted Man"/"Blue Bloods") by 33% (2.0/6 vs. 1.5/5) and 22% (2.8/7 vs. 2.3/6), respectively. During its final hour from 10:00-11:00 p.m., ABC's "20/20" outdrew NBC's "Dateline" by 4.2 million viewers (8.6 million vs. 4.4 million) and more than doubled its newsmagazine competition in Adults 25-54 (+113%) and Adults 18-49 (+109%). ABC's "20/20: One Moment in Time: The Life of Whitney Houston" took an in-depth look at the voice of the century, from her record-setting achievements and musical legacy, to her rocky personal life and battle with addiction, as well as the latest developments about the superstar's final days.
· Jumping sharply week to week in Total Viewers (+52%), Adults 25-54 (+47%) and Adults 18-49 (+43%), ABC's "20/20" drew its biggest audience on the night in over 2 years and scored 17-week highs in both key Adult measures - since 2/5/10 and 10/21/11, respectively.
Sunday
ABC finished No. 2 on Sunday in Total Viewers (7.4 million) and Adults 18-49 (2.1/6), while ranking No. 1 with key Women (W18-34/W18-49).
· ABC claimed the night's No. 1 broadcast show in Adults 18-49 with "Once Upon a Time."
"America's Funniest Home Videos" (7:00-8:00 p.m.)
ABC's "America's Funniest Home Videos" was No. 1 during the 7 o'clock hour in Adults 18-49 (2.0/6), beating out runner-up CBS with its PGA Golf Tournament overrun leading into "60 Minutes" by 11% (1.8/5).
· Scoring season highs for the 2nd week running, "America's Funniest Home Videos" generated its most-watched telecast in exactly 1 year (8.1 million) and equaled its highest Adult 18-49 number in over 1 year - since 2/20/11 and 1/30/11, respectively.
"Once Upon a Time" (8:00-9:00 p.m.)
Surging over its lead-in (+55%) at 8:00 p.m. against season-premiere competition (CBS' "Amazing Race") and the 500th episode of Fox's "The Simpsons," ABC's "Once Upon a Time" stood as Sunday's top-rated broadcast show and dominated its hour among Adults 18-49 (3.1/8). During the 8 o'clock hour, ABC's "Once Upon a Time" beat out CBS with the "Amazing Race" opener by 24% (2.5/7), Fox's animated comedies by 35% ("The Simpsons"/"Napoleon Dynamite" = 2.3/6) and NBC's "The Voice" replay by 55% (2.0/5).
· Continuing to deliver impressive year-over-year improvement for ABC in the hour, "Once Upon a Time" was up by 29% over the year-ago night among Adults 18-49 (2.4/7 on 2/20/11).
· "Once Upon a Time" grew week to week by 1.1 million viewers (9.8 million vs. 8.7 million) and by 3% in Adults 18-49 (3.1/8 vs. 3.0/7).
"Desperate Housewives" (9:00-10:01 p.m.)
Building week to week by double digits in viewers (+19%) and young adults (+22%), ABC's "Desperate Housewives" registered as the 2nd-most-watched show overall during the 9 o'clock hour (7.6 million), outdrawing NBC's season premiere of "Celebrity Apprentice" by 7% (7.1 million). The ABC drama ranked as the No. 1 broadcast program in its time slot with key Women (W18-49/W25-54).
"Pan Am" (10:01-11:00 p.m.)
Shooting up by 46% over the prior week in Total Viewers (3.8 million vs. 2.6 million) and jumping 71% in Adults 18-49 (1.2/3 vs. 0.7/2), ABC's season finale of "Pan Am" drew the series' largest audience since mid-January - since 1/15/12.
Source: The Nielsen Company, National, Live+ Same Day Program Ratings, week of 02/13/12.
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