ABC's "Last Resort" Grows Week to Week

ABC earned second place on Thursday night in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, while ranking #1 with Women 18-34.

· ABC was up 7% in Total Viewers over the year-ago night, while holding 100% of its Adult 18-49 delivery.

Growing week to week in the 8 o'clock hour against CBS' top-rated comedies (The Big Bang Theory/Two and a Half Men), ABC freshman Last Resort took second place in viewers and young adults, finishing well ahead of Fox's MLB National League Championship and continued to dominate NBC's comedies (30 Rock/Up All Night). The biggest percentage gainer via DVR playback for any 8pm show, ABC's Last Resort shot up by 2.7 million viewers and by 46% (+1.0 rating) in Adults 18-49 from the next-day L+SD numbers to the final L+7 numbers.

· Last Resort was up over the prior week by 6% in Total Viewers, by 6% in Adults 18-49 and by 20% in Adults 18-34.

· Improving the hour year to year for ABC for its 4th straight telecast, on average Last Resort is boosting its time period by double digits in Total Viewers (+14%) and Adults 18-49 (+27%) over the same point last season with original drama programming.

Coming off a pre-emption the previous week for the Vice Presidential debate, ABC's Grey's Anatomy jumped over its lead-in among Adults 18-49 (+94%) at 9pm to dominate its competition in the hour and stand as Thursday's #1 drama for its 3rd consecutive telecast this season. Leading by double digits in the 9 o'clock hour, ABC's Grey's outpaced CBS' Person of Interest by 18%, NBC's comedies by 83% (The Office/Parks and Recreation) and Fox's post-season baseball by 136%. Jumping in DVR Playback, Grey's adds 3.3 million viewers and a 1.5 Adult 18-49 rating points from its next-day numbers to its L+7 finals

Retaining 100% of its Adult 18-49 audience from its last telecast two weeks ago, ABC's Scandal continued to close the gap with CBS' Elementary (pacing within 1 share) in the 10 o'clock hour, while overshadowing NBC's Rock Center with Brian Williams in Total Viewers (+88%) and Adults 18-49 (+122%). Scandal beat Elementary to stand as the #1 scripted TV show in its slot in Adults 18-34 and across all key Women (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54). A big beneficiary of DVR playback, the 10pm drama jumped up by 2.6 million viewers and by 43% in young adults over its first-reported L+SD numbers to its Live + 7 Day results.

· In addition to holding all of its Adult 18-49 audience, the ABC drama was up over its last telecast in Adults 25-54 (+4%).

· Scandal drew a larger audience to the hour than Private Practice on the same night last year.

Quick Take for Thursday, October 18, 2012 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

Building its Thursday Audience Year to Year, ABC Earns Second Place on the Night

Improving its Time Period Year Over Year by Double Digits, ABC's Freshman "Last Resort" Grows Week to Week in Viewers and Young Adults

Thursday's No. 1 Drama, ABC's "Grey's" Dominates the 9pm Hour in Adults 18-49

Holding All of its Two-Weeks Ago Adult 18-49 Audience and Gaining in Adults 25-54, "Scandal" Continues to Draw More Viewers to the 10pm Hour for ABC Year to Year

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

ABC earned second place on Thursday night in Total Viewers (7.7 million) and Adults 18-49 (2.4/7), while ranking No. 1 with Women 18-34.

· ABC was up 7% in Total Viewers over the year-ago night, while holding 100% of its Adult 18-49 delivery.

"Last Resort" (8:00-9:00 p.m.)

Growing week to week in the 8 o'clock hour against CBS' top-rated comedies ("The Big Bang Theory"/"Two and a Half Men"), ABC freshman "Last Resort" took second place in viewers (7.3 million) and young adults (1.7/5), finishing well ahead of Fox's MLB National League Championship, and continued to dominate NBC's comedies ("30 Rock"/"Up All Night"). The biggest percentage gainer via DVR playback for any 8:00 p.m. show, ABC's "Last Resort" shot up by 2.7 million viewers and by 46% (+1.0 rating) in Adults 18-49 from the next-day L+SD numbers to the final L+7 numbers.

· "Last Resort" was up over the prior week by 6% in Total Viewers, by 6% in Adults 18-49 and by 20% in Adults 18-34.

· Improving the hour year to year for ABC for its 4th straight telecast, on average "Last Resort" is boosting its time period by double digits in Total Viewers (+14%) and Adults 18-49 (+27%) over the same point last season with original drama programming.

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

Coming off a pre-emption the previous week for the Vice Presidential debate, ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" jumped over its lead-in among Adults 18-49 (+94%) at 9:00 p.m. to dominate its competition in the hour and stand as Thursday's No. 1 drama for its 3rd consecutive telecast this season. Leading by double digits in the 9 o'clock hour, ABC's "Grey's" (3.3/9) outpaced CBS' "Person of Interest" by 18% (2.8/7), NBC's comedies by 83% ("The Office"/"Parks and Recreation" = 1.8/5) and Fox's post-season baseball by 136% (1.4/4). Jumping in DVR Playback, "Grey's" adds 3.3 million viewers and a 1.5 Adult 18-49 rating points from its next-day numbers to its L+7 finals.

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

Retaining 100% of its Adult 18-49 audience from its last telecast two weeks ago, ABC's "Scandal" continued to close the gap with CBS' "Elementary" (pacing within 1 share) in the 10 o'clock hour, while overshadowing NBC's "Rock Center with Brian Williams" in Total Viewers (+88% - 6.4 million vs. 3.4 million) and Adults 18-49 (+122% - 2.0/5 vs. 0.9/3). In addition, "Scandal" beat "Elementary" to stand as the No. 1 scripted TV show in its slot in Adults 18-34 and across all key Women (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54). A big beneficiary of DVR playback, the 10 o'clock drama built by 2.6 million viewers and by 43% in young adults over its first-reported L+SD numbers to its Live + 7 Day results.

· In addition to holding all of its Adult 18-49 audience, the ABC sophomore drama was up over its last telecast in Adults 25-54 (+4%).

· "Scandal" once again drew a larger audience to the hour than "Private Practice" on the same night last year.

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 46% currently, from 42% 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, 10/18/12.