ABC's Scandal and Grey's Rank as Thursday's Top Shows - American Crime is the #1 Series in its Slot for the 3rd Straight Week

ABC Thursday Prime (8-11pm - 7.1 million and 1.9/6 in AD18-49): ABC ranked a strong second on Thursday in Adults 18-49, nearly tying CBS' high-rated NCAA Basketball coverage for the lead (1.9/6 vs. 2.0/7).

· Winning their slots from 8-10pm, ABC's Scandal (2.4/7) and Grey's (2.1/7) stood as Thursday's Top 2 TV shows in Adults 18-49.

· In the 10pm hour, ABC freshman American Crime was the #1 series in the slot for the 3rd straight week in Adults 18-49 (1.2/4), towering over its freshman NBC drama competition (+71% over The Slap = 0.7/2).

Quick Take for Thursday, March 19, 2015 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

ABC's "Scandal" and "Grey's" Rank as Thursday's Top 2 Shows in Adults 18-49

ABC's "Grey's" Beats Fox's "Idol" for the 3rd Straight Week in Adults 18-49

"Scandal" Wins its Hour in Adults 18-49 and is Up by Double Digits this Season

"American Crime" is the No. 1 Series in its Slot for the 3rd Week Running In Adults 18-49, Beating NBC's Competing Freshman Drama "The Slap" by 71%

Thursday (03/19/15) - ABC Total Viewer and Adult 18-49 Projections

"Grey's Anatomy:" Live + 3 = 12.1 million/3.0 rating and Live + 7 = 13.1 million/3.3 rating

"Scandal:" Live + 3 = 11.6 million/3.4 rating and Live + 7 = 12.1 million/3.6 rating

"American Crime:" Live + 3 = 9.2 million/2.0 rating and Live + 7 = 9.9 million/2.1 rating

Live + Same Day Results:

ABC Thursday Prime (8:00-11:00 p.m. - 7.1 million and 1.9/6 in AD18-49):

ABC ranked a strong second on Thursday in Adults 18-49, nearly tying CBS' high-rated NCAA Basketball Tournament coverage for the lead (1.9/6 vs. 2.0/7).

· ABC's "Scandal" (2.4/7) and "Grey's Anatomy" (2.1/7) stood as Thursday's Top 2 TV shows in Adults 18-49.

"Grey's Anatomy" (8:00-9:00 p.m. - 7.8 million and 2.1/7 in AD18-49):

At 8:00 p.m., ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" won its hour and beat Fox's "American Idol" for the 3rd week in a row among Adults 18-49 (2.1/7 vs. 1.7/6), building its winning advantage to 24% (up from a 17% advantage and a 9% advantage the two weeks prior). "Grey's" gained 5% week to week in Total Viewers (7.8 million vs. 7.4 million) and held steady in Adults 18-49.

"Scandal" (9:00-10:00 p.m. - 8.0 million and 2.4/7 in AD18-49):

At 9:00 p.m., ABC's "Scandal" led its hour among Adults 18-49 (2.4/7), winning by wide margins over NBC's "The Blacklist" (+33% - 1.8/5) and the second hour of Fox's "American Idol" (+33% - 1.8/6).

· On average season to date, "Scandal" is growing by double digits in Total Viewers (+20% - 13.2 million vs. 10.9 million) and Adults 18-49 (+15% - 4.5/14 vs. 3.9/11).

"American Crime" (10:00-11:00 p.m. - 5.7 million and 1.2/4 in AD18-49):

At 10:00 p.m., ABC freshman "American Crime" was the No. 1 series in the slot for the 3rd straight week in Adults 18-49 (1.2/4), towering over its freshman NBC drama competition (+71% over "The Slap" = 0.7/2). Despite heightened competition in the hour from CBS' NCAA Basketball Tournament coverage, the new ABC drama retained nearly all of its Total Viewer count week to week (98% - 5.7 million vs. 5.8 million).

A note about DVR penetration: DVR penetration in the Nielsen sample is currently at 49% in U.S. TV Homes. More viewers are watching shows on their own timetables, which are increasingly not reflected in the overnight Live + Same Day numbers. As a result, the Live + 7 Day ratings are the most accurate measure to gauge the size of the TV audience.

Projections Rationale:

Lifts vs. L+SD are based on the 2014-15 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, 03/19/15.