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[08/17/09 - 12:04 PM]
ABC Marks Its Biggest Non-Sports Summer Sunday in Over 1 Year
ABC spins the numbers for Sunday, August 16.

[via press release from ABC]

Quick Take for Sunday, August 16, 2009 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

ABC Marks its Biggest Non-Sports Summer Sunday in Over 1 Year

Opposite CBS' PGA Championship Overrun in the 7pm Hour, ABC's Repeat "Funniest Home Videos" Beats NBC's Original "Merlin" by Wide Margins

"Millionaire" Holds All of its Viewers and Adults 18-49 from Last Sunday and Grows Week to Week with Adults 18-34, Men 18-34 and Women 18-34

Jumping from its Week-Ago Debut by 1.5 Million Viewers and by 38% in Adults 18-49, ABC's "Shark Tank" Emerges as the Most-Watched TV Show from 9-10pm

ABC's "Shark Tank" Defeats its Unscripted Competition from 9-10pm, Leading CBS' "Big Brother"/"Neighborhood" Combo by 12% in Viewers and 20% in Adults 18-49

Sunday Night (8:00-11:00 p.m.)

ABC registered as the second-most-watched network on Sunday to CBS, which benefitted from a high-rated PGA Championship overrun into the opening hour of primetime. Despite the competition, ABC marked its top non-sports Summer Sunday in more than a 1 year with Total Viewers (5.3 million) and Adults 18-49 (1.4/4-tie) � since 7/6/08 and 7/13/08, respectively.

"America's Funniest Home Videos" (7:00-8:00 p.m.)

Opposite CBS' PGA Championship overrun during the 7 o'clock hour, ABC's repeat "America's Funniest Home Videos" earned second place, beating NBC's original episode of "Merlin" by 2.7 million viewers (5.8 million vs. 3.0 million) and by 75% in Adults 18-49 (1.4/5 vs. 0.8/3). "AFV" pulled in its second-biggest audience this summer.

"Millionaire-8/16" (8:00-9:00 p.m.)

Building on its lead-in among viewers and young adults at 8:00 p.m., Sunday's "Millionaire" finished second in the hour to CBS ("60 Minutes"/"Big Brother") with Total Viewers (7.0 million). From its first half-hour to its second half-hour, "Millionaire" saw its audience gain overall viewers and young adults.

� "Millionaire" retained all of its week-ago Total Viewer and Adult 18-49 audience, while building week to week in Adults 18-34, Men 18-49 and Women 18-34.

"Shark Tank" (9:00-10:00 p.m.)

Jumping over its week-ago series debut by 1.5 million viewers (5.7 million vs. 4.2 million) and by 38% in Adults 18-49 (1.8/5 vs. 1.3/4), on just its second airing ABC's "Shark Tank" emerged as the most-watched TV show during the 9 o'clock hour. In fact against its unscripted competition in the time period, ABC's "Shark Tank" topped CBS' "Big Brother"/"There Goes the Neighborhood" combo (5.1 million and 1.5/4) by 12% in Total Viewers and by 20% in Adults 18-49.

� With its week-to-week surge, "Shark Tank" attracted ABC's biggest non-sports audience to the time period since last July and its top Adult 18-49 numbers since last August � since 7/13/08 and 8/24/08, respectively.

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 32% currently, from 26% at the same point in 2008. 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.

Source: Nielsen Media Research (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Program Ratings), 8/16/09.





  [august 2009]  
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· 60 MINUTES (CBS)
· AMERICA'S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEOS (ABC)
· BIG BROTHER (CBS)
· MERLIN (SYFY)
· SHARK TANK (ABC)
· THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD (CBS)
· WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE (ABC)





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