Hitting a 3-Month High, ABC Wins with the Season Finale of "Wipeout"

With the season finale of Wipeout and a repeat Grey's Anatomy, ABC ranked #1 on the final Thursday before the start of the 2011-12 season among Adults 18-49.

· The Net marked its strongest Thursday in nearly 3 months among young adults - since 6/23/11.

ABC's 2-hour season finale of Wipeout finished a strong #1 from 8-10pm among Adults 18-49, leading runner up CBS by 16%. The broad-appealing ABC unscripted series also delivered the #1 position in its time period with key Women (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54) and was the top-rated broadcast program with Teens 12-17 and Kids 2-11.

· Jumping 38% over its most recent original telecast on the night (on 8/25/11), Wipeout hit its best Adult 18-49 rating since its season premiere in June, representing the series' 2nd-highest number since March - since 6/23/11 and 3/24/11, respectively. In addition, the series achieved its highest Adult 18-34 number in more than 7 months - since 2/3/11.

During the 10 o'clock hour, ABC's special repeat Grey's Anatomy topped NBC's repeat Law & Order: SVU by a margin of 38% in Adults 18-49.

Quick Take for Thursday, September 15, 2011 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

Hitting a 3-Month High Among Adults 18-49, ABC Ranks No. 1 On the Final Thursday Before the Start of the 2011-12 Season

ABC's Season Finale of "Wipeout"Wins its 2-Hour Slot in Adults 18-49, Posting the Series' Strongest Number Since its Season Premiere in June

"Wipeout"Achieves its Highest Adult 18-34 Rating in More than 7 Months

ABC's Repeat "Grey's"Beats NBC's Repeat "L&O: SVU"by 38% in Adults 18-49

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

With the season finale of "Wipeout"and a repeat "Grey's Anatomy,"ABC ranked No. 1 on the final Thursday before the start of the 2011-12 Season among Adults 18-49 (1.8/5-tie).

· The Net marked its strongest Thursday in nearly 3 months among young adults - since 6/23/11.

"Wipeout"(8:00-10:00 p.m.)

ABC's 2-hour season finale of "Wipeout"finished a strong No. 1 from 8:00-10:00 p.m. among Adults 18-49, leading runner up CBS by 16% (2.2/6 vs. 1.9/6). The broad-appealing ABC unscripted series also delivered the No. 1 position in its time period with key Women (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54) and was the top-rated broadcast program with Teens 12-17 and Kids 2-11.

· Jumping 38% over its most recent original telecast on the night (1.6/5 on 8/25/11), "Wipeout"hit its best Adult 18-49 rating since its season premiere in June, representing the series' 2nd-highest number since March - since 6/23/11 and 3/24/11, respectively. In addition, the series achieved its highest Adult 18-34 (1.9/6) number in more than 7 months - since 2/3/11.

"Grey's Anatomy"(10:00-11:00 p.m.)

During the 10 o'clock hour, ABC's special repeat "Grey's Anatomy"topped NBC's repeat "Law & Order: SVU"by a margin of 38% in Adults 18-49 (1.1/3 vs. 0.8/2).

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 42% currently, from 38% at the same point in 2010. 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), 9/15/11.