Live + 7 Day Ratings: "Modern Family" Delivers Biggest-Ever Playback Lift and Leads Wednesday by 2.0 Rating Points

Live + 7 Day Ratings for the week of 2/24/14 (Week #20):

Please note: Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was pre-empted, while Once Upon a Time and Revenge did not air.

ABC claimed 4 of the week's 10 biggest broadcast gainers in TV playback among Adults 18-49, with Modern Family (+2.4 rating points) - #2, Grey's Anatomy (+1.8 rating points) - #4, Scandal (+1.5 rating points) - #5 and Castle. (+1.2 rating points) - #9.

The Middle (+41%), Modern Family (+77%) and Last Man Standing (+53%) each turned in a series-best in TV playback among Adults 18-49.

In the final Live + 7 Day ratings, Modern Family (5.5 rating) solidified itself as Wednesday's #1 program among Adults 18-49, distancing itself from Fox's American Idol-Weds (3.5 rating) by a full 2.0 rating points. In the initial L+SD ratings, Modern Family led American Idol-Weds by 4-tenths of a rating point in Adults 18-49.

Season-to-Date TV Playback (9/23/13-3/2/14):

Based on TV playback data for the 2013-14 season, ABC claims 4 of the Top 10 playback gainers among Adults 18-49 on the broadcast networks (the most for any network-tied with CBS): Modern Family (+2.1 rating points) - #2, Grey's Anatomy (+1.9 rating points) - #4, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (+1.6 rating points) - #5 and Scandal (+1.5 rating points) - #7. ABC owns 4 of the 10 biggest overall gainers on the broadcast networks (tied with CBS): Castle (+4.4 million), Modern Family (+4.4 million), Grey's (+4.0 million) and Scandal (+3.9 million).

Nearly all of ABC's key returning series are seeing bigger percentage gains among Adults 18-49 from L+SD to L+7 this year than last: The Bachelor (+29% vs. +23%), Castle (+60% vs. +50%), Dancing with the Stars (+20% vs. +18%), Grey's Anatomy (+68% vs. +53%), Last Man Standing (+46% vs. +33%), Modern Family (+58% vs. +49%), Nashville (+80% vs. +63%), The Neighbors (+30% vs. +16%), Once Upon a Time (+55% vs. +43%), Revenge (+63% vs. +46%), Scandal (+48% vs. +38%) and Shark Tank (+30% vs. +21%).

· Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is Tuesday's #1 scripted show this season with Adults 18-49 based on original telecasts, beating CBS' NCIS by 5% (4.3 rating vs. 4.1 rating). Based on first-run telecasts in the L+7 Adult 18-49 ratings, ABC claims the season's #1 scripted show on Tuesday (S.H.I.E.L.D. - 4.3 rating), the #1 show on Wednesday (Modern Family - 5.7), the #1 drama on Thursday (Grey's - 4.7) and the #2 show on Friday (with Shark Tank within 1-tenth of a rating point of NBC's Grimm - 2.7 vs. 2.6).

· Modern Family is the season's #2 scripted series among Adults 18-49 on the broadcast networks (5.7 rating).

Source: The Nielsen Company, as dated. Network averages based on all programming. Program rankers based on regular, original telecasts only.