ABC Wins Season Opening Wednesday with "Modern Family" as the #1 TV show

ABC won the opening Wednesday of the season in Adults 18-49, leading by double digits over Fox by 12%, NBC by 17% and CBS by 17%. ABC's Modern Family was the dominant #1 TV show of the night across all key Adult demos. In viewers and young adults, ABC marked its strongest Wednesday since last October - since 10/10/12.

Ranking #1 at 8pm in Adults 18-49 (tie), the season opener of The Middle was up from its season finale in May by 20%. The Middle delivered its biggest audience since November and top young adult number since January - 11/14/12 and 1/23/13, respectively.

Delivering strong Adult 18-49 lead-in retention in the 8:30pm half hour (92%), ABC's debut of Back in the Game was up over the year-ago premiere of The Neighbors (10/3/12) in the slot by 25% in viewers and by 16% in Adults 18-49 to deliver ABC's best series performance in the half-hour in 1 year - since the 1-hour season premiere of The Middle on 9/26/12. It ranked #1 in the slot with key Men (M18-34/M18-49)

Wednesday's highest-rated show, Modern Family nearly doubled its Adult 18-49 lead-in and dominated the 9 o'clock hour over the season premiere of CBS' Criminal Minds (+46%), Fox's The X Factor (+58%) and NBC's season premiere of L&O: SVU (+64%). Modern Family grew over its May finale in viewers (+14%) and young adults (+11%), drawing its largest audience since January and highest Adult 18-49 number since April - since 1/9/13 and 4/3/13, respectively.

DVR: Modern Family was TV's most recorded and played-back show last season, gaining +4.5 million viewers and +2.2 Adult 18-49 rating points (+52%) from its first-reported Live + Same Day numbers to the finalized Live +7 numbers.

During the 10 o'clock hour, ABC's Nashville tied CBS' CSI season premiere in Adults 18-49. Nashville was up over its May finale by double digits in Total Viewers (+10%) and Adults 18-49 (+11%), earning its most-watched telecast since October 17, 2012 and its highest young adult number since January 16, 2013. It was the series' 3rd-strongest performance ever.

DVR: Nashville delivers huge gains via TV playback. During its freshman season, the show added +2.6 million additional viewers and +1.1 rating Adult 18-49 rating points (+61%) from L+SD to its final Live + 7 Day numbers, making it one of the top 15 biggest percentage gainers with young adults.

Quick Take for Wednesday, September 25, 2013 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

ABC Wins Premiere Wednesday with its Top Numbers on the Night Since October

ABC's "The Middle" Opens with its Biggest Audience Since Last November

ABC's Debut of "Back in the Game" Retains 92% of its Adult 18-49 Lead-in To Deliver the Net's Best Series Performance in the Half-Hour in 1 Year

"Modern Family" Premieres as Wednesday's No. 1 TV Show with its Highest Rating Since April and its Biggest Audience Since January

"Nashville" Surges Over its May Finale to its 3rd-Highest Numbers Ever

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

ABC won the opening Wednesday of the season in Adults 18-49 (2.8/8), leading by double digits over Fox by 12% (2.5/7), NBC by 17% (2.4/7) and CBS by 17% (2.4/7). ABC's "Modern Family" was the dominant No. 1 TV show of the night across all key Adult demos. In viewers (8.8 million) and young adults (2.8/8), ABC marked its strongest Wednesday since last October - since 10/10/12.

"The Middle" (8:00-8:30 p.m.)

Ranking No. 1 at 8:00 p.m. in Adults 18-49 (2.4/8-tie), the season opener of "The Middle" was up from its season finale in May by 20% (2.0/7 on 5/22/13). "The Middle" delivered its biggest audience since November (8.8 million) and top young adult number since January (2.4/8) - since 11/14/12 and 1/23/13, respectively.

"Back in the Game" (8:30-9:00 p.m.)

Delivering strong Adult 18-49 lead-in retention in the 8:30 p.m. half-hour (92% - Net's best comedy retention in the half hour since the 2011-12 season), ABC's debut of "Back in the Game" was up over the year-ago premiere of "The Neighbors" (10/3/12) in the slot by 25% in viewers (7.9 million vs. 6.3 million) and by 16% in Adults 18-49 (2.2/7 vs. 1.9/5) to deliver ABC's best series performance in the half-hour in 1 year - since the 1-hour season premiere of "The Middle" on 9/26/12. The new show ranked No. 1 in the slot with key Men (M18-34/M18-49).

"Modern Family" (9:00-10:00 p.m.)

ABC's "Modern Family" (4.1/11) nearly doubled its Adult 18-49 lead-in and dominated the 9 o'clock hour over the season premiere of CBS' "Criminal Minds" (+46% - 2.8/8), Fox's "The X Factor" (+58% - 2.6/7) and NBC's season premiere of "L&O: SVU" (+64% - 2.5/7). "Modern Family" grew over its May finale in viewers (+14%) and young adults (+11%), drawing its largest audience (11.4 million) since January and highest Adult 18-49 number since April - since 1/9/13 and 4/3/13, respectively. DVR: "Modern Family" was TV's most recorded and played-back show last season, gaining +4.5 million viewers and +2.2 Adult 18-49 rating points (+52%) from its first-reported Live + Same Day numbers to the finalized Live +7 numbers.

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

During the 10 o'clock hour, ABC's "Nashville" tied CBS' "CSI" season premiere in Adults 18-49 (2.1/6). "Nashville" was up over its May finale by double digits in Total Viewers (+10%) and Adults 18-49 (+11%), earning its most-watched telecast (6.6 million) since October 17, 2012 and its highest young adult number since January 16, 2013. It was the series' 3rd-strongest performance ever. DVR: "Nashville" delivers huge gains via TV playback. During its freshman season, the show added +2.6 million additional viewers and +1.1 rating Adult 18-49 rating points (+61%) from L+SD to its final Live + 7 Day numbers, making it one of the top 15 biggest percentage gainers with young adults.

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 48% currently, from 45% 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), 09/25/13.