ABC's "Celebrity Wife Swap" Opens at Series Highs

ABC ranked #2 to CBS on Tuesday in viewers and young adults. For the 2nd Tuesday in a row, ABC was up over the year-ago night (also an all-original lineup) in Viewers (+4%) and Adults 18-49 (+6%).

Opening at series highs against CBS' top-rated NCIS, ABC's season premiere of Celebrity Wife Swap led by wide margins in Adults 18-49 over Fox (+60% - Raising Hope/Raising Hope) and NBC (+85% - Off their Rockers/Off their Rockers) during the 8 o'clock hour. The ABC unscripted series won the hour in Women 18-34, beating runner-up NCIS by 9%. Boosting the hour week to week in Adults 18-49 (+50%), Celebrity Wife Swap posted ABC's top series number in the time period in more than 1 year - 2/7/12. The show grew from last season's Tuesday premiere by 17% in Total Viewers and by 14% in Adults 18-49 to post its best numbers ever on both counts.

Moving to its new 9pm time period, ABC's The Taste came into the hour and beat out NBC's comedies (Go On/New Normal) by 27% in Adults 18-49. The Taste improved its new time period by 21% in Total Viewers and by 8% in Adults 18-49, over the Net's averages this season with regular programming

At 10pm opposite CBS' series debut of Golden Boy, ABC's Body of Proof more than doubled the audience of NBC's Smash and outdelivered the NBC drama by 33% in Adults 18-49. Although facing increased competition from the CBS' debut, Body of Proof retained 100% of its week-ago premiere in Adults 18-49 and was up in Adults 18-34 (+14%) and Women 18-34 (+22%).

Quick Take for Tuesday, February 26, 2013 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

ABC Earns Second on Tuesday and Continues to Grow Year to Year

Opening at Series Highs, ABC�s "Celebrity Wife Swap" Delivers ABC�s Strongest Adult 18-49 Series Performance in the Time Period in Over 1 Year

In its New Slot, "The Taste" Beats NBC�s Comedies and Improves the Hour for ABC

At 10pm, ABC�s "Body of Proof" More than Doubles the Audience of NBC�s "Smash" And Leads by 33% in Adults 18-49, While Retaining 100% of its Week-Ago Premiere

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

ABC ranked No. 2 to CBS on Tuesday in viewers (5.8 million) and young adults (1.7/5).

· For the 2nd Tuesday in a row, ABC was up over the year-ago night (also an all-original lineup = 5.6 million and 1.6/4) in Viewers (+4%) and Adults 18-49 (+6%).

"Celebrity Wife Swap" (8:00-9:00 p.m.)

Opening at series highs against CBS� top-rated "NCIS," ABC�s season premiere of "Celebrity Wife Swap" (2.4/7) led by wide margins in Adults 18-49 over Fox (+60% - "Raising Hope"/"Raising Hope" = 1.5/4) and NBC (+85% - "Off their Rockers"/"Off their Rockers-R") during the 8 o�clock hour. The ABC unscripted series won the hour in Women 18-34, beating runner-up "NCIS" by 9%.

· Boosting the hour week to week in Adults 18-49 (+50%), "Celebrity Wife Swap" posted ABC�s top series number in the time period in more than 1 year � 2/7/12.

· The show grew from last season�s Tuesday premiere (on 1/3/12) by 17% in Total Viewers (7.0 million vs. 6.0 million) and by 14% in Adults 18-49 (2.4/7 vs. 2.1/5) to deliver its best numbers ever on both counts.

"The Taste" (9:00-10:00 p.m.)

Moving to its new 9:00 p.m. time period, ABC�s "The Taste" came into the hour and beat out NBC�s comedies ("Go On"/"New Normal") by 1.2 million viewers (4.1 million vs. 2.9 million) and 27% in Adults 18-49 (1.4/4 vs. 1.1/3).

· "The Taste" improved its new time period by 21% in Total Viewers and by 8% in Adults 18-49, over the Net�s averages this season with regular programming (3.4 million and 1.3/3).

"Body of Proof" (10:00-11:00 p.m.)

At 10:00 p.m., opposite CBS� series debut of "Golden Boy," ABC�s "Body of Proof" more than doubled the audience of NBC�s "Smash" (6.3 million vs. 3.0 million) and outdelivered the NBC drama by 33% in Adults 18-49 (1.2/3 vs. 0.9/3).

· Although facing increased competition from the CBS debut, "Body of Proof" retained 100% of its week-ago premiere in Adults 18-49 and was up in Adults 18-34 (+14%) and Women 18-34 (+22%).

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 47% currently, from 43% at the same point in 2012. 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), 02/26/13.