ABC's "Grey's" Finale is Up Year to Year/"Scandal" Closes Out at Series Highs

Early info on ABC's Thursday, ahead of the regular press release.

ABC earned second place to an Idol-fueled Fox on the final Thursday of the season in Adults 18-49, surging 14% week to week and hitting a 14-week high on the evening - since 2/9/12.

Building in its finale during the 8 o'clock hour, against the season's final episode of Fox's American Idol-Thurs, ABC's Missing more than doubled the audience of NBC's comedies (+124% over Community/30 Rock finale) and tied among Adults 18-49. The new ABC drama also beat out the established NBC comedies with Adults 25-54 (+21%) and Women 18-49 (+23%).

· ABC's Missing rose week to week in viewers (+2%) and young adults (+18%), earning its best numbers in 3 weeks.

Tripling its lead-in at 9pm in Adults 18-49 (+200%), ABC's season finale of Grey's Anatomy qualified as the highest-rated series in its hour for the 6th straight week and once again finished as Thursday's #1 drama. Taking full control of the 9 o'clock hour, ABC's Grey's Anatomy outdelivered CBS' Person of Interest by 56%, Fox's Idol-inflated Touch by a best-ever 117% and NBC's comedies by 200% (Community/Community season finale). Additionally, Grey's stood as Thursday's #1 TV series with Adults 18-34, Women 18-49 (3rd straight week) and Women 18-34 (7th straight week).

· Gaining for the 2nd consecutive week in viewers (+14%) and young adults (+11%), ABC's Grey's Anatomy drew its biggest audience in over 4 months (19-week high) and its top Adult 18-49 number in more than 3 months (14-week high) - since 1/5/12 and 2/9/12, respectively.

· Grey's was up over its year-ago season finale in Total Viewers (+13%), Adults 18-49 (+8%), Adults 25-54 (+12%) and across all key Women demos: W18-34 (+7%), W18-49 (+11%) and W25-54 (+13%). In fact, it was the ABC drama's 2nd straight telecast to post year-to-year gains.

During the 10pm hour, ABC's freshman season finale of Scandal ran in a near-tie with CBS' finale of The Mentalist for first place in Adults 18-49 (pacing within 1-tenth of a rating point and tied in audience share), while beating The Mentalist in Adults 18-34 and across all key Women (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54). Also in its time period, ABC's Scandal continued to dominate its freshman drama competition, more than tripling the results for NBC's Awake in Viewers (+257%), Adults 25-54 (+275%) and Adults 18-49 (+243%). Additionally, Scandal dominated The Mentalist finale with Adults 18-34 (+21%) and finished #1 in its slot for the 7th consecutive week with Women 18-49.

· Spiking in its finale over the prior week with Total Viewers (+17%), Adults 18-49 (+26%) and Adults 25-54 (+20%), ABC's Scandal achieved new series highs.

· The new drama attracted ABC's largest audience in the time period since the beginning of January and its top Adult numbers (AD18-49/AD25-54) in 3 months - since 1/5/12 and 2/16/12, respectively

Quick Take for Thursday, May 17, 2012 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

ABC Spikes 14% to a 14-Week High in Adults 18-49 on the Season's Final Thursday

ABC Freshman "Missing" Builds in its Finale with Viewers and Young Adults

Drawing its Biggest Audience in 19 Weeks and Topping its Year-Ago Finale, ABC's "Grey's" is the No. 1 Series in its Slot in Adults 18-49 for the 6th Week Running

Surging in its Finale, ABC's "Scandal" Closes Out its First Season at Series Highs, Drawing the Network's Biggest Audience to the Time Slot Since Early January

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

ABC earned second place to an "Idol"-fueled Fox on the final Thursday of the season in Adults 18-49 (2.5/7), surging 14% week to week and hitting a 14-week high on the evening - since 2/9/12. In addition, the Net ranked No. 1 on the night with Women 18-49 (tie), while taking the top spot with Women 18-34 on all 4 Thursdays of the May Sweep.

"Missing" (8:00-9:00 p.m.)

Building in its finale during the 8 o'clock hour, against the season's final episode of Fox's "American Idol-Thurs," ABC's "Missing" (6.5 million and 1.3/4) more than doubled the audience of NBC's comedies (+124% over "Community"/"30 Rock finale" = 2.9 million and 1.3/4) and tied among Adults 18-49. The new ABC drama also beat out the established NBC comedies with Adults 25-54 (+21%) and Women 18-49 (+23%).

· ABC's "Missing" rose week to week in viewers (+2%) and young adults (+18%), earning its best numbers in 3 weeks.

"Grey's Anatomy" (9:00-10:00 p.m.)

Tripling its lead-in at 9:00 p.m. in Adults 18-49 (+200%), ABC's 8th season finale of "Grey's Anatomy" qualified as the highest-rated series in its hour for the 6th straight week and once again finished as Thursday's No. 1 drama. Taking full control of the 9 o'clock hour, ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" (3.9/11) outdelivered CBS' "Person of Interest" by 56% (2.5/7), Fox's "Idol"-inflated "Touch" by a best-ever 117% (1.8/5) and NBC's comedies by 200% ("Community"/"Community" season finale = 1.3/4). Additionally, "Grey's" stood as Thursday's No. 1 TV series with Adults 18-34, Women 18-49 (3rd straight week) and Women 18-34 (7th straight week).

· Gaining for the 2nd consecutive week in viewers (+14%) and young adults (+11%), ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" drew its biggest audience in over 4 months (19-week high) and its top Adult 18-49 number in more than 3 months (14-week high) - since 1/5/12 and 2/9/12, respectively.

· "Grey's" was up over its year-ago season finale in Total Viewers (+13%), Adults 18-49 (+8%), Adults 25-54 (+12%) and across all key Women demos: W18-34 (+7%), W18-49 (+11%) and W25-54 (+13%). In fact, it was the ABC drama's 2nd straight telecast to post year-to-year gains.

"Scandal" (10:00-11:00 p.m.)

During the 10 o'clock hour, ABC's freshman season finale of "Scandal" ran in a near-tie with CBS' finale of "The Mentalist" for first place in Adults 18-49 (2.4/7 vs. 2.5/7 - pacing within 1-tenth of a rating point and tied in audience share), while beating "The Mentalist" in Adults 18-34 and across all key Women (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54). Also in its time period, ABC's "Scandal" continued to dominate its freshman drama competition, more than tripling the results for NBC's "Awake" in Viewers (+257%), Adults 25-54 (+275%) and Adults 18-49 (+243%). Additionally, "Scandal" dominated "The Mentalist" finale with Adults 18-34 (+21%) and finished No. 1 in its slot for the 7th consecutive week with Women 18-49.

· Spiking in its finale over the prior week with Total Viewers (+17%), Adults 18-49 (+26%) and Adults 25-54 (+20%), ABC's "Scandal" achieved new series highs.

· The new drama attracted ABC's largest audience in the time period since the beginning of January and its top Adult numbers (AD18-49/AD25-54) in 3 months - since 1/5/12 and 2/16/12, 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 44% currently, from 41% at the same point in 2011. 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), 05/17/12.