"DWTS" Finale Towers Over Tuesday with its Most-Watched Closer in 6 Seasons

Some early info on ABC's Tuesday, ahead of the regular press release.

ABC towered over the final Tuesday of the November Sweep, ranking a definitive #1 and beating its nearest competition (CBS) by 3.8 million viewers and by 32% in Adults 18-49.

· Hitting season-highs on the night in viewers and young adults, the Net marked its most-watched Tuesday in 3 years - since 11/27/07.

For the 8th consecutive telecast this season, ABC freshman No Ordinary Family pulled in a bigger audience than NBC's veteran The Biggest Loser in the 8 o'clock hour. The ABC drama also defeated Biggest Loser with key Men (M18-49/M25-54).

· Opposite stiff competition in Tuesday's 8pm hour, against the most-watched shows this season on both CBS (NCIS) and Fox (Glee), No Ordinary Family was up week to week in viewers (+4%) and Adults 18-49 (+6%).

Winning its time period in its final 4 telecasts of its season in Total Viewers (24.1 million) and Adults 18-49 (5.3/15), ABC's Dancing with the Stars: The Results grand finale stood as Tuesday's #1 TV show by wide margins over CBS' NCIS and Fox's Glee, respectively. Actress Jennifer Grey was crowned champion of Season 11 and awarded the coveted mirror ball trophy. Gaining viewers and young adults throughout its 2-hour broadcast, ABC's Dancing finale attracted 26.4 million viewers and a 6.0/17 in Adults 18-49 during its final half-hour from 10:30-11pm

· DWTS: The Results rose sharply over its year-ago finale, jumping by 4.8 million viewers and by 23% in Adults 18-49. In fact in its 11th Season closer, the DWTS: The Results finale scored its biggest audience in 6 seasons and its top Adult 18-49 number in 5 seasons - since 11/27/07 and 5/20/08, respectively.

· With the 11th Season finales of DWTS: The Results and DWTS, respectively, ABC now claims TV's Top 2 most-watched entertainment telecasts this season (any net/any night).

Quick Take for Tuesday, November 23, 2010 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

Towering Over the Final Tuesday of the November Sweep and at No. 1 with Season Highs, ABC Generates its Biggest Audience on the Night in 3 Years

"No Ordinary Family" is Up Week to Week in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49

Overshadowing CBS' "NCIS" and Fox's "Glee," ABC's "DWTS: The Results" Finale is Tuesday's Dominant No. 1 TV Show in Viewers and Adults 18-49

Surging Year to Year by 4.8 Million Viewers and by 23% in Adults 18-49, "Dancing with the Stars" Scores its Most-Watched Finale in 6 Seasons

With the Season Enders of "DWTS: The Results" and "DWTS," ABC Now Claims TV's Top 2 Most-Watched Entertainment Telecasts of the Season

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

ABC towered over the final Tuesday of the November Sweep, beating its nearest competition (CBS) by 3.8 million viewers (18.4 million vs. 14.6 million) and by 32% in Adults 18-49 (4.1/12 vs. 3.1/9).

· Hitting season highs on the night in viewers and young adults, the Net marked its most-watched Tuesday in 3 years - since 11/27/07.

"No Ordinary Family" (8:00-9:00 p.m.)

For the 8th consecutive telecast this season, ABC freshman "No Ordinary Family" outdrew NBC's veteran "The Biggest Loser" (7.0 million vs. 6.9 million). The ABC drama also defeated "Biggest Loser" with key Men (M18-49/M25-54).

· Opposite stiff competition in Tuesday's 8:00 p.m. hour, against the most-watched shows this season on both CBS ("NCIS") and Fox ("Glee"), "No Ordinary Family" was up week to week in viewers (+4% - 7.0 million vs. 6.7 million) and Adults 18-49 (+6% - 1.8/5 vs. 1.7/5).

"Dancing with the Stars: The Results" (9:00-11:00 p.m.)

Winning its time period on each of its final 4 telecasts this season in Total Viewers (24.1 million) and Adults 18-49 (5.3/15), ABC's "Dancing with the Stars: The Results" grand finale stood as Tuesday's No. 1 TV show by wide margins over CBS' "NCIS" (18.8 million) and Fox's "Glee" (4.0/12), respectively. Actress Jennifer Grey was crowned champion of Season 11 and awarded the coveted mirror ball trophy. Gaining viewers and young adults throughout its 2-hour broadcast, ABC's "Dancing" finale attracted 26.4 million viewers and a 6.0/17 in Adults 18-49 during its final half-hour from 10:30-11:00 p.m.

· "DWTS: The Results" rose sharply over its year-ago finale, jumping by 4.8 million viewers and by 23% in Adults 18-49 (19.3 million & 4.3/12 on 11/24/09). In fact in its 11th-season closer, "DWTS: The Results" scored its biggest finale audience in 6 seasons and its top Adult 18-49 number in 5 seasons - since 11/27/07 and 5/20/08, respectively.

· With the 11th-season finales of "DWTS: The Results" and "DWTS," respectively, ABC now claims TV's Top 2 most-watched entertainment telecasts this season (any net/any night).

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 34% 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.

Source: The Nielsen Company (Fast Affiliate, Live + Same Day Ratings), 11/23/10.