ABC's "Red Widow" Jumps 20% to a Best-Since-Premiere Adults 18-49 Number

ABC ran as the 2nd most-watched network on Sunday to an NCAA Basketball Tournament-boosted CBS.

In the 7 o'clock hour opposite CBS' approximate 45-minute basketball overrun, ABC's America's Funniest Home Videos earned second place with viewers and young adults. AFHV drew its biggest audience since mid-February - since 2/17/13

Building on its Adult 18-49 lead-in by 62% at 8pm, ABC's Once Upon a Time finished a strong second to CBS' basketball-fueled combo of 60 Minutes and Amazing Race in viewers and young adults. The ABC drama won the hour across all key women (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54) and Teens 12-17, and once again stood as Sunday's top-rated broadcast series in W18-49. Please Note: Once Upon a Time is seeing considerably larger ratings increases after day of air, as compared to last Fall and the year-ago Spring. The Adult 18-49 increases for Once Upon a Time from L+SD to L+7 have gone from 42% last Fall up to 48% this Spring, and is also showing a much larger gain than the same point last Spring (39%).

At 9pm, ABC's Revenge beat out the opening hour of NBC's Celebrity Apprentice by 17% in Total Viewers and by 20% in Adults 18-49. Additionally, the sophomore drama made ABC the #1 broadcaster in the time period among Women 18-49. On average, Revenge has grown its Adult 18-49 audience this season by 10% over the same point in its freshman season.

During the 10 o'clock hour, ABC's Red Widow grew by 20% week to week in Adults 18-49 to hit a best-since premiere number. From 10-11pm, Red Widow ranked #1 among Adults 18-34 (tying the second hour of Celebrity Apprentice) and won among Women 18-34. Based the most recent Live + 7 Day ratings (for the 3/10/13 telecast), Red Widow jumped over its Live +Same Day numbers by 2.2 million viewers (5.3 million to 7.5 million) and spiked 55% in Adults 18-49 (1.1 rating to a 1.7 rating).

Quick Take for Sunday, March 24, 2013 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

ABC is 2nd on Sunday in Viewers to an NCAA Basketball Tournament-Boosted CBS

"America's Funniest Home Videos" Draws its Biggest Audience Since Mid-February

"Once Upon a Time" is No. 1 in its Hour Across All Key Women and Teens 12-17

Up 10% for the Season in Adults 18-49, "Revenge" Beats NBC's "Apprentice" by 20%

"Red Widow" Gains 20% in Adults 18-49, Delivering a Best-Since-Premiere Number

Sunday Night (7:00-11:00 p.m.)

ABC (6.2 million) ranked as the 2nd-most-watched network on Sunday to an NCAA Basketball Tournament-boosted CBS.

"America's Funniest Home Videos" (7:00-8:00 p.m.)

In the 7 o'clock hour opposite CBS' approximate 45-minute basketball overrun, ABC's "America's Funniest Home Videos" earned second place with viewers (6.9 million) and young adults (1.3/4).

· "AFHV" drew its biggest audience since mid-February - since 2/17/13.

"Once Upon a Time" (8:00-9:00 p.m.)

Building on its Adult 18-49 lead-in by 62% at 8:00 p.m., ABC's "Once Upon a Time" finished a strong second to CBS' basketball-fueled combo of "60 Minutes" and "Amazing Race" in viewers (7.3 million) and young adults (2.1/6). The ABC drama was No. 1 in the hour across all key Women (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54) and Teens 12-17, and once again stood as Sunday's top-rated broadcast series in Women 18-49.

Please Note: "Once Upon a Time" is seeing considerably larger ratings increases after day of air as compared to last Fall and the year-ago Spring. The Adult 18-49 increases for "Once Upon a Time" from L+SD to L+7 have gone from 42% last Fall up to 48% this Spring, and are also showing a much larger gain than the same point last Spring (39%).

"Revenge" (9:00-10:00 p.m.)

At 9:00 p.m., ABC's "Revenge" beat out the opening hour of NBC's "Celebrity Apprentice" by 17% in Total Viewers (6.1 million vs. 5.2 million) and by 20% in Adults 18-49 (1.8/4 vs. 1.5/4). Additionally, the sophomore drama made ABC the No. 1 broadcaster in the time period among Women 18-49.

· On average, "Revenge" has grown its Adult 18-49 audience this season by 10% over the same point in its freshman season.

"Red Widow" (10:00-11:00 p.m.)

During the 10 o'clock hour, ABC's "Red Widow" grew by 20% week to week in Adults 18-49 (1.2/3 vs. 1.0/3) to hit a best-since premiere number. From 10:00-11:00 p.m., "Red Widow" ranked No. 1 among Adults 18-34 (tying the second hour of "Celebrity Apprentice") and won among Women 18-34.

· Based the most recent Live + 7 Day ratings (for the 3/10/13 telecast), "Red Widow" jumped over its Live +Same Day numbers by 2.2 million viewers (5.3 million to 7.5 million) and spiked 55% in Adults 18-49 (1.1 rating to a 1.7 rating).

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 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, 03/24/13.