Live + 7 Ratings: ABC's "Modern Family" Emerges as the #1 TV Series in all 4 Weeks of February

Live + 7 Day Ratings for the week of 2/27/12 (Week #24):

Based on the Live + 7 Day ratings for the week, ABC's Modern Family emerged as TV's definitive #1 series for the 4th week in a row in Adults 18-49 (7.5 rating), standing nearly one full rating point ahead of NBC's The Voice (+0.9 rating point - 7.5 vs. 6.6). The ABC comedy also moved ahead of both editions of Fox's American Idol, dominating Idol-Thurs by 17% (6.4) and Idol-Weds by 25% (6.0). Initially in the Live + Same Day statistics, Modern Family ranked behind The Voice and both editions of American Idol. Modern Family also qualified as TV's most-watched comedy, outdrawing runner-up, CBS' Two and a Half Men, by 15% in Total Viewers (16.76 million vs. 14.52 million).

In the originally reported Live + Same Day numbers, ABC's Once Upon a Time finished behind CBS' NCIS and gained +1.2 rating points among Adults 18-49 in the Live + 7 numbers, tying the CBS drama to rank as the #1 broadcast drama of the week with young adults (4.6).

· Based on Nielsen's DVR playback data for the week, Modern Family registered as the biggest gainer via time-shifted viewing in both Total Viewers and Adults 18-49 for its 15th straight original telecast, adding on 5.20 million viewers and 2.7 rating points to its originally reported Live + Same Day numbers. In addition, Once Upon a Time qualified as the biggest new drama gainer in the key young adult demo (+1.2 rating points), topping the time-shifted viewing increases of NBC's Grimm, Smash and the debut of Awake (+1.1 rating points).

· ABC had 6 shows gain more than 2 million viewers from their initially reported totals via time-shifted viewing: Modern Family (+5.20 million), Castle (+3.17 million), Body of Proof (+2.79 million), Revenge (+2.67 million), Once Upon a Time (+2.55 million) and Desperate Housewives (+2.07 million).

· Among Adults 18-49, ABC saw 4 series add on at least a full rating point over their initially reported numbers, including 2 of the top 5 biggest gainers: Modern Family (+2.7 rating - 4.8 to 7.5), Once Upon a Time (+1.2 rating - 3.4 to 4.6), Revenge (+1.1 rating - 2.4 to 3.5) and Castle (+1.0 rating - 2.1 to 3.1).

Please Note: ABC's Thursday night line-up (including Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice) was in repeats this week.

Season-to-Date DVR Playback (9/19/11-3/4/12):

On average for the 2011-12 season, ABC's Modern Family and Grey's Anatomy are the season's Top 2 biggest gainers via time-shifted viewing among Adults 18-49 (picking up 2.5 rating points and 1.6 rating points, respectively), while the ABC sitcom is the season's biggest overall gainer among Total Viewers (+4.89 million).

· With Modern Family (7.9 rating) and Grey's Anatomy (5.3), ABC claims this season's #1 scripted series/comedy and #1 drama, respectively, in the key young adult demo based on original telecasts. In fact, Modern Family is pacing within 3-tenths of a rating point of tying NBC's The Voice (8.2) to stand as the season's #1 program.

Source: The Nielsen Company, as dated. Based on original, regular telecasts only.