ABC is #1 on Thursday in AD18-49/Shark Tank Boosts the 8pm Hour/Scandal is Up Week to Week

ABC Thursday Prime (8-11pm - 7.9 million and 2.4/8 in AD18-49): ABC finished #1 Thursday in Adults 18-49 (2.4/8), tying CBS and beating Fox's original lineup by 71% (1.4/5). The Net drew its biggest audience on the night since October and hit a 6-week high in Adults 18-49 - since 10/31/13 and 2/27/14, respectively.

Shark Tank (8-9pm - 6.6 million and 1.6/6 in AD18-49): During the 8 o'clock hour, the first night of a special 2-night Shark Tank event drew a season high in Total Viewers for ABC with a series in the time slot and delivered a 6-month high in Adults 18-49 (since 10/10/13). In addition, Shark Tank nearly tied American Idol on the night in Adult 18-49 rating and beat Idol in audience share (1.6/6 vs. 1.7/5). Part 2 of the Shark Tank event will air tonight, Friday 4/11/14 at 9pm.

Grey's Anatomy (9-10pm - 8.1 million and 2.5/8 in AD18-49): Building on its Adult 18-49 lead-in at 9pm (+56%), ABC's Grey's Anatomy (2.5/8) continued to win its hour by strong margins, beating runner-up CBS' comedies by 25% (Two and a Half Men/Crazy Ones = 2.0/6) and Fox with American Idol and Surviving Jack by 67% (1.5/5). Fox's American Idol tied another all-time low with a 1.7 Adult 18-49 rating. Grey's was up slightly over its week-ago Fast Affiliate number in Total Viewers (+1%) and paced within 1-tenth in Adults 18-49. In addition the show was up for the 3rd straight week in Adults 18-34 (+10%) for its best number since its mid-season return on 2/27/14.

· In its 10th season, Grey's Anatomy is up over the same point last year in both Total Viewers (+5%) and Adults 18-49 (+2%), tracking as its most-watched season in 4 years - since the 2009/10 season.

Scandal (10-11pm - 9.1 million and 3.0/9 in AD18-49): Growing on its lead-in Adults 18-49 at 10pm (+20%), ABC's Scandal (3.0/9) once again beat its combined drama competition in the hour, leading by 7% over CBS' Elementary (1.7/5) and NBC's Parenthood (1.1/3). Scandal was grew week to week in Adults 18-49 (+3%) and Adults 18-34 (+8%).

· On average, Scandal is up 36% in Total Viewers and 43% in Adults 18-49 season to date, standing as TV's fastest growing returning series.

Quick Take for Thursday, April 10, 2014 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

ABC Ranks No. 1 on Thursday in Adults 18-49 with a 6-Week High on the Night

A Special "Shark Tank" Boosts Thursday's 8 O'clock Hour for ABC to A Season High in Total Viewers and a 6-Month High in Adults 18-49

"Grey's" Wins at 9pm in Adults 18-49 and is Up for the 3rd Week in Adults 18-34

Building Week to Week, "Scandal" Once Again Beats its Combined Competition

ABC Thursday Prime (8:00-11:00 p.m. - 7.9 million and 2.4/8 in AD18-49):

ABC finished No. 1 on Thursday in Adults 18-49 (2.4/8), tying CBS and beating Fox's original lineup by 71% (1.4/5). The Net drew its biggest audience on the night since October and hit a 6-week high in Adults 18-49 - since 10/31/13 and 2/27/14, respectively.

"Shark Tank-SP" (8:00-9:00 p.m. - 6.6 million and 1.6/6 in AD18-49):

During the 8 o'clock hour, the first night of a special 2-night "Shark Tank" event drew a season high in Total Viewers for ABC with a series in the time slot and delivered a 6-month high in Adults 18-49 (since 10/10/13). "Shark Tank" took second in the hour among Adults 18-49, beating Fox's time-slot regular "Hell's Kitchen" by 14% (1.6/6 vs. 1.4/5). In addition, the ABC unscripted series nearly tied "American Idol" on the night in Adult 18-49 rating and beat "Idol" in audience share (1.6/6 vs. 1.7/5). Part 2 of the "Shark Tank" event will air in its regular time slot tonight, Friday 4/11/14, at 9:00 p.m.

"Grey's Anatomy" (9:00-10:00 p.m. - 8.1 million and 2.5/8 in AD18-49):

Building on its Adult 18-49 lead-in at 9:00 p.m. (+56%), ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" (2.5/8) continued to win its hour by strong margins, beating runner-up CBS' comedies by 25% ("Two and a Half Men"/"Crazy Ones" = 2.0/6) and Fox with "American Idol" and "Surviving Jack" by 67% (1.5/5). Fox's "American Idol" tied another all-time low with a 1.7 Adult 18-49 rating.

· "Grey's" was up slightly over its week-ago Fast Affiliate number in Total Viewers (+1%) and paced within 1-tenth in Adults 18-49. In addition, the show was up for the 3rd straight week in Adults 18-34 (+10%) for its best number since its mid-season return on 2/27/14.

· In its 10th season, "Grey's Anatomy" is up over the same point last year in both Total Viewers (+5%) and Adults 18-49 (+2%), tracking as its most-watched season in 4 years - since the 2009/10 season.

"Scandal" (10:00-11:00 p.m. - 9.1 million and 3.0/9 in AD18-49):

Growing from its lead-in with Adults 18-49 at 10:00 p.m. (+20%), ABC's "Scandal" (3.0/9) once again beat its combined drama competition in the hour, leading by 7% over CBS' "Elementary" (1.7/5) and NBC's "Parenthood" (1.1/3).

· "Scandal" grew week to week in Adults 18-49 (+3%) and Adults 18-34 (+8%).

· On average, "Scandal" is up 36% in Total Viewers and 43% in Adults 18-49 season to date, standing as TV's fastest growing returning series.

· "Scandal" continued to dominate Thursday night as the most social series with 347,077 tweets, delivering close to 6 million tweets season to date.

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 49% currently, from 47% at the same point in 2013. 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, 04/10/14. Nielsen Social, total tweets, as dated.