Hitting Season Highs on the Night, ABC's "Dancing" Finale Tops the Tuesday "Idol" Finale by Over 3 Million Viewers

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

With a Recap Show and the Grand Finale 14th-season closer of Dancing with the Stars, ABC qualified as the most-watched network on the final Tuesday of the season and sweep, outdrawing Fox with its Tuesday finale of Idol into the season finale of Glee by 3.6 million viewers and more than doubled the audience of NBC with America's Got Talent and a Dateline 20th Anniversary special (+8.1 million viewers or +125%) . Finishing a solid second to Fox, ABC defeated NBC on the night by 24% in Adults 18-49.

· Vaulting week to week in Total Viewers (+87%) and Adults 18-49 (+53%), ABC marked its strongest Tuesday in 6 months - since 11/22/11. In fact, it was the Net's 2nd-most-watched Tuesday of the season.

In its 14th-season finale from 9-11pm, ABC's Dancing with the Stars Results Show won its 2-hour time period in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49 to produce season-high numbers on the night. The Dancing finale dominated all 4 of its half-hours with Total Viewers to stand as the most-watched TV program of the night, topping the Tuesday finale of American Idol by 3.1 million viewers (up sharply from an 855k viewer advantage on the year-ago night). Outdrawing Fox's Tuesday Idol finale for the 2nd consecutive year, ABC's DWTS Results Show is the only TV program to accomplish the feat. Super Bowl Champion and the all-time leading receiver for the Green Bay Packers Donald Driver won the coveted Mirror Ball trophy.

· Soaring from its first hour to its second hour to deliver a decisive victory from 10-11pm, ABC's DWTS Results Show beat the combined deliveries for CBS and NBC in the hour by 27% in Total Viewers and by 11% in Adults 25-54, while matching the two nets' combined Adult 18-49 number.

· DWTS Results Show spiked week to week by 33% in viewers and by 45% in young adults to generate its biggest numbers this season.

· In viewers and young adults, the Dancing finale scored ABC's strongest performance in the time period since November (since 11/22/11) and its 2nd-best numbers of the season.

Quick Take for Tuesday, May 22, 2012 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

ABC is the Most-Watched Net on the Final Tuesday of 2011-12, as the "Dancing" Finale Produces the Net's 2nd-Biggest Tuesday of the Season

The Most-Watched TV Show of the Night, ABC's "DWTS Results Show" Increases Its Winning Advantage Year to Year Over the Tuesday Finale of "American Idol"

Winning its 2-Hour Slot in Viewers and Young Adults, "DWTS" Soars During its Broadcast to Beat CBS and NBC Combined from 10-11pm on Key Measures

ABC's "DWTS Results Show" Scores Season Highs and Generates the Net's Best Numbers in the Time Period in 6 Months with Viewers and Young Adults

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

With a "DWTS" encore and the Grand Finale 14th-season closer of "Dancing with the Stars," ABC (14.6 million) qualified as the most-watched network on the final Tuesday of the season and sweep, outdrawing Fox (11.0 million) with its Tuesday finale of "Idol" into the season finale of "Glee" by 3.6 million viewers and more than doubling the audience of NBC (6.5 million) with "America's Got Talent" and a "Dateline 20th Anniversary" special (+8.1 million viewers or +125%). Finishing a solid second to Fox, ABC defeated NBC on the night by 24% in Adults 18-49 (2.6/7 vs. 2.1/6).

· Vaulting week to week in Total Viewers (+87%) and Adults 18-49 (+53%), ABC marked its strongest Tuesday in 6 months - since 11/22/11. In fact, it was the Net's 2nd-most-watched Tuesday of the season.

"DWTS Results Show" (9:00-11:00 p.m.)

In its 14th-season finale from 9:00-11:00 p.m., ABC's "Dancing with the Stars Results Show" won its 2-hour time period in Total Viewers (17.5 million) and Adults 18-49 (3.2/9) to produce season-high numbers on the evening. The "Dancing" finale dominated all 4 of its half-hours with Total Viewers to stand as the most-watched TV program of the night, topping the Tuesday finale of "American Idol" (14.4 million) by 3.1 million viewers (up sharply from an 855k viewer advantage on the year-ago night). Outdrawing Fox's Tuesday "Idol" closer for the 2nd consecutive year, ABC's "DWTS Results Show" is the only TV program to accomplish the feat. Super Bowl Champion and the all-time leading receiver for the Green Bay Packers Donald Driver won the coveted Mirror Ball trophy.

· Soaring from its first hour to its second hour to deliver a decisive victory from 10:00-11:00 p.m., ABC's "DWTS Results Show" beat the combined deliveries for CBS and NBC in the hour by 27% in Total Viewers (18.1 million vs. 14.3 million) and by 11% in Adults 25-54 (4.9/12 vs. 4.4/11), while matching the two nets' combined Adult 18-49 number (3.4/9).

· ABC's "DWTS Results Show" spiked week to week by 33% in viewers and by 45% in young adults to generate its biggest numbers this season.

· In viewers and young adults, the "Dancing" finale scored ABC's strongest performance in the time period since November (since 11/22/11), representing its 2nd-best numbers of the season.

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), 05/22/12.