ABC's Wednesday is #1 Non-Sports with the Top 2 Series of the Night in AD18-49

ABC Wednesday Prime (8-11pm - 7.2 million and 2.1/7 in AD18-49): Opposite the World Series Game 2 on Fox, ABC was the #1 non-sports network on Wednesday in Adults 18-49 (2.1/7-tied w/CBS). With both shows holding steady against the World Series from their week-ago Fast Affiliate numbers, Modern Family (3.3/10) and black-ish (2.5/7) once again ranked as the Top 2 series telecasts of the night in Adults 18-49.

· On average through the first four weeks this season, ABC's 2-hour Wednesday comedy block is up year to year in viewers (+6%) and young adults (+6%), marking its strongest start in 3 years - since the opening weeks of the 2011-12 season.

· The Net's Wednesday night was up week to week in Total Viewers (+11% - 7.2 million vs. 6.5 million) and held even in Adults 18-49.

... more to come

ABC's black-ish Draws 2nd-Largest-Ever Audience Opposite the World Series

Wednesday (10/22/14) - ABC Total Viewer and Adult 18-49 Projections

The Middle: Live + 3 = 8.7 million/2.4 rating and Live + 7 = 9.1 million/2.5 rating

The Goldbergs: Live + 3 = 10.1 million/3.1 rating and Live + 7 = 10.9 million/3.3 rating

Modern Family: Live + 3 = 14.3 million/4.6 rating and Live + 7 = 15.9 million/5.1 rating

black-ish: Live + 3 = 9.7 million/3.0 rating and Live + 7 = 10.3 million/3.1 rating

Nashville: Live + 3 = 8.8 million/2.2 rating and Live + 7 = 9.7 million/2.4 rating

Live + Same Day Fast Affiliate Results:

ABC Wednesday Prime (8-11pm - 7.2 million and 2.1/7 in AD18-49):

Opposite the World Series Game 2 on Fox, ABC was the #1 non-sports network on Wednesday in Adults 18-49 (2.1/7-tied w/CBS). With both shows holding steady against the World Series from their week-ago Fast Affiliate numbers, Modern Family (3.3/10) and black-ish (2.5/7) once again ranked as the Top 2 series telecasts of the night in Adults 18-49. On average through the first four weeks this season, ABC's 2-hour Wednesday comedy block is up year to year in viewers (+6%) and young adults (+6%), marking its strongest start in 3 years - since the opening weeks of the 2011-12 season. The Net's Wednesday night was up week to week in Total Viewers (+11% - 7.2 million vs. 6.5 million) and held even in Adults 18-49.

The Middle (8-8:30pm - 7.2 million and 2.0/7 in AD18-49): At 8pm, ABC's The Middle returned after the prior week's preemption to take a strong second against its regular time slot competition with Adults 18-49, nearly catching CBS' Survivor for its closest finish yet this season (2.0/7 vs. 2.2/7) and beating NBC's The Mysteries of Laura by 67% (1.2/4). The Middle held even with its most recent airing two weeks ago in Adults 18-49.

The Goldbergs (8:30-9pm - 7.0 million and 2.2/7 in AD18-49): At 8:30pm, ABC's The Goldbergs returned to build on its Adult 18-49 lead-in for its 4th straight broadcast (+10% - 2.2/7 vs. 2.0/7) out of The Middle and improved its half-hour year to year (+29% over Back in the Game = 1.7/5). The Goldbergs came back steady with its most recent airing two weeks ago in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49. In addition, The Goldbergs topped its year-ago Tuesday airing (on 10/22/13) for its 3rd consecutive telecast in Total Viewers (+35% - 7.0 million vs. 5.2 million) and Adults 18-49 (+29% - 2.2/7 vs. 1.7/5) leading out of S.H.I.E.L.D. at 9pm.

Modern Family (9-9:30pm - 10.0 million and 3.3/10 in AD18-49): ABC's Modern Family shot up 50% from its Adult 18-49 lead-in at 9pm to win its half-hour over the World Series and lead its nearest regular competition by 38% (3.3/10 vs. 2.4/7 - CBS' Criminal Minds). The ABC comedy grew in Total Viewers (+5% - 10.0 million vs. 9.5 million) and held even with its week-ago Fast Affiliate Adult 18-49 rating (3.3/10), which adjusted up in the Nationals (to a 3.4/10).

black-ish (9:30-10pm - 8.0 million and 2.5/7 in AD18-49): In the 9:30pm half-hour, ABC's black-ish was the #1 series in its slot for the 5th week in a row in Adults 18-49 (2.5/7). The freshman ABC comedy boosted its half-hour year to year by 38% in Total Viewers and by 19% Adults 18-49 (5.8 million and 2.1/6 - Super Fun Night on 10/23/13). The new show was up 16% from the prior week in Total Viewers (8.0 million vs. 6.3 million) and remained even in Adults 18-49, drawing the series' 2nd-biggest overall audience ever.

Nashville (10-11pm - 5.4 million and 1.4/4 in AD18-49): During the 10pm hour, ABC's Nashville was up week to week by 8% in Total Viewers (5.4 million vs. 5.0 million) and by 8% in Adults 18-49 (1.4/4 vs. 1.3/4). Nashville nearly tied NBC's Chicago P.D. in the hour among Adults 18-49 (1.4/4 vs. 1.5/5). TV Playback: On average this season in the Live + 7 Day numbers, Nashville's audience is growing by 2.6 million viewers (+49% - 5.3 million to 7.9 million) and by 60% in Adults 18-49 (1.5 rating to 2.4 rating) over its L+SD results.

Quick Take for Wednesday, October 22, 2014 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

ABC is Wednesday's No. 1 Non-Sports Net with the Night's Top 2 Series Telecasts

"Middle" Nearly Catches "Survivor" at 8pm for its Closest Finish Yet this Season

"Modern Family" is Wednesday's No. 1 TV Show in Adults 18-49 for 5 Straight Weeks

"black-ish" Builds Against the World Series to Earn its 2nd-Biggest-Ever Audience

At 10pm, "Nashville" is Up Week to Week in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49

Wednesday (10/22/14) - ABC Total Viewer and Adult 18-49 Projections

"The Middle:" Live + 3 = 8.7 million/2.4 rating and Live + 7 = 9.1 million/2.5 rating

"The Goldbergs:" Live + 3 = 10.1 million/3.1 rating and Live + 7 = 10.9 million/3.3 rating

"Modern Family:" Live + 3 = 14.3 million/4.6 rating and Live + 7 = 15.9 million/5.1 rating

"black-ish:" Live + 3 = 9.7 million/3.0 rating and Live + 7 = 10.3 million/3.1 rating

"Nashville:" Live + 3 = 8.8 million/2.2 rating and Live + 7 = 9.7 million/2.4 rating

Live + Same Day Fast Affiliate Results:

ABC Wednesday Prime (8:00-11:00 p.m. - 7.2 million and 2.1/7 in AD18-49):

Opposite the World Series Game 2 on Fox, ABC was the No. 1 non-sports network on Wednesday in Adults 18-49 (2.1/7-tied w/CBS). ABC's "Modern Family" (3.3/10) and "black-ish" (2.5/7) once again ranked as the night's Top 2 series telecasts in Adults 18-49. On average through the first four weeks this season, ABC's 2-hour Wednesday comedy block is up year to year in viewers (+6%) and young adults (+6%), marking its strongest start in 3 years - since the opening weeks of the 2011-12 season.

· The Net's Wednesday night was up week to week in Total Viewers (+11% - 7.2 million vs. 6.5 million) and held even in Adults 18-49.

"The Middle" (8:00-8:30 p.m. - 7.2 million and 2.0/7 in AD18-49):

At 8:00 p.m., ABC's "The Middle" returned after the prior week's preemption to take a strong second against its regular time slot competition with Adults 18-49, nearly catching CBS' "Survivor" for its closest finish yet this season (2.0/7 vs. 2.2/7) and beating NBC's "The Mysteries of Laura" by 67% (1.2/4). "The Middle" held even with its most recent airing two weeks ago in Adults 18-49.

"The Goldbergs" (8:30-9:00 p.m. - 7.0 million and 2.2/7 in AD18-49):

At 8:30 p.m., ABC's "The Goldbergs" returned to build on its Adult 18-49 lead-in for its 4th straight broadcast (+10% - 2.2/7 vs. 2.0/7) out of "The Middle" and improved its half-hour year to year (+29% over "Back in the Game" = 1.7/5). "The Goldbergs" came back steady from its most recent airing two weeks ago in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49.

· "The Goldbergs" topped its year-ago Tuesday airing (on 10/22/13) for its 3rd consecutive telecast in Total Viewers (+35% - 7.0 million vs. 5.2 million) and Adults 18-49 (+29% - 2.2/7 vs. 1.7/5) leading out of "S.H.I.E.L.D." at 9:00 p.m.

"Modern Family" (9:00-9:30 p.m. - 10.0 million and 3.3/10 in AD18-49):

ABC's "Modern Family" shot up 50% from its Adult 18-49 lead-in at 9:00 p.m. to win its half-hour over the World Series and lead its nearest regular competition by 38% (3.3/10 vs. 2.4/7 - CBS' "Criminal Minds"). The ABC comedy grew in Total Viewers (+5% - 10.0 million vs. 9.5 million) and held even with its week-ago Fast Affiliate Adult 18-49 rating (3.3/10), which adjusted up in the Nationals (to a 3.4/10).

"black-ish" (9:30-10:00 p.m. - 8.0 million and 2.5/7 in AD18-49):

In the 9:30 p.m. half-hour, ABC's "black-ish" was the No. 1 series in its slot for the 5th week in a row in Adults 18-49 (2.5/7). The freshman ABC comedy boosted its half-hour year to year by 38% in Total Viewers and by 19% Adults 18-49 (5.8 million and 2.1/6 - "Super Fun Night" on 10/23/13).

· "black-ish" was up 16% from the prior week in Total Viewers (8.0 million vs. 6.3 million) and remained even in Adults 18-49, drawing the series' 2nd-biggest-ever overall audience.

"Nashville" (10:00-11:00 p.m. - 5.4 million and 1.4/4 rating in AD18-49):

During the 10:00 p.m. hour, ABC's "Nashville" was up week to week by 8% in Total Viewers (5.4 million vs. 5.0 million) and by 8% in Adults 18-49 (1.4/4 vs. 1.3/4). "Nashville" nearly tied NBC's "Chicago P.D." in the hour among Adults 18-49 (1.4/4 vs. 1.5/5).

· TV Playback: On average this season in the Live + 7 Day numbers, "Nashville's" audience is growing by 2.6 million viewers (+49% - 5.3 million to 7.9 million) and by 60% in Adults 18-49 (1.5 rating to 2.4 rating) over its L+SD results.

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 48% 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.

Projections Rationale:

Lifts vs. L+SD are based on the 2013-14 season for premiere telecast or an average for originals (excluding the premiere).

Returning shows: Profile based on same show (either premiere or averages for originals).

New Series: Based on similar series.

Source: The Nielsen Company, Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings for 10/22/14.