ABC Takes 2nd on Wednesday with 4 of the Top 5 Shows After Empire - The Middle and Modern Top Last Week's Preliminaries

Live + Same Day Results:

ABC Wednesday Prime (8-11pm - 6.0 million and 1.8/6 in AD18-49): For the 3rd Wednesday in a row, behind only Fox's Empire, ABC delivered 4 of the Top 5 next-highest-rated TV series with Modern Family (2.7/8), The Goldbergs (2.1/7 - tied w/Survivor), The Middle (1.9/7) and black-ish (1.8/5).

· Holding steady week to week, ABC took 2nd place in Adults 18-49 (1.8/6) to Fox during, leading CBS by 13% (1.6/5) and NBC by 38% (1.3/4).

· ABC's The Goldbergs (+5% - 2.1/7 vs. 2.0/7) and Modern Family (+4% - 2.7/8 vs. 2.6/8) were each up from their week-ago Fast Affiliate Adult 18-49 ratings (both shows adjusted up 1-tenth in the Nationals), while The Middle (1.9/7) and black-ish (1.8/5) held steady with their week-ago preliminaries.

· At 10pm, Nashville was steady with its National Adult 18-49 rating (1.1/4) and within a tenth of its preliminary, finishing in a virtual tie with CBS' Code Black (1.2/4) and tying in share with NBC's Chicago PD (1.4/4). Live + 7 Day Season to Date: On average, Nashville jumps 75% over its L+SD Adult 18-49 rating to rank as Wednesday's biggest percentage gainer on the broadcast networks. The ABC drama delivers much larger L+7 lifts than its 10pm drama competitors on CBS (Code Black = +60%) and NBC (Chicago PD = +59%).

... projections to follow.

Wednesday (10/21/15) - ABC Total Viewer and Adult 18-49 Projections, including Multiplatform + 35 Days

The Middle: L3 = 8.8 million/2.3 rating, L7 = 9.4 million/2.5 rating and MP+35 = 2.9 rating

The Goldbergs: L3 = 8.4 million/2.7 rating, L7 = 9.1 million/2.9 rating and MP+35 = 3.3 rating

Modern Family: L3 = 11.7 million/3.9 rating, L7 = 12.7 million/4.2 rating and MP+35 = 5.5 rating

black-ish: L3 = 8.7 million/2.6 rating, L7 = 9.4 million/2.8 rating and MP+35 = 3.5 rating

Nashville: L3 = 7.1 million/1.7 rating, L7 = 7.9 million/1.9 rating and MP+35 = 2.4 rating

Quick Take for Wednesday, October 21, 2015 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

ABC is No. 2 on Wednesday in Adults 18-49 by Double Digits Over CBS and NBC

"The Middle" is No. 1 at 8pm in Women 18-49, Adults 18-34 and Teens 12-17

"The Goldbergs" Grows Week to Week in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49

"Modern Family" Spikes over its Lead-in to Rank as Wednesday's No. 2 Show

"black-ish" Beats its NBC and CBS Competition at 9:30pm in Adults 18-49

"Nashville" is the Season's Top Percentage Playback Gainer on Wednesday, Jumping 75% from Live + Same Day to Live + 7 Day in Adults 18-49

Wednesday (10/21/15) - ABC Total Viewer and Adult 18-49 Projections:

"The Middle": L3 = 8.8 million/2.3 rating, L7 = 9.4 million/2.5 rating and MP+35 = 2.9 rating

"The Goldbergs": L3 = 8.4 million/2.7 rating, L7 = 9.1 million/2.9 rating and MP+35 = 3.3 rating

"Modern Family": L3 = 11.7 million/3.9 rating, L7 = 12.7 million/4.2 rating and MP+35 = 5.5 rating

"black-ish": L3 = 8.7 million/2.6 rating, L7 = 9.4 million/2.8 rating and MP+35 = 3.5 rating

"Nashville": L3 = 7.1 million/1.7 rating, L7 = 7.9 million/1.9 rating and MP+35 = 2.4 rating

Live + Same Day Results:

ABC Wednesday Prime (8:00-11:00 p.m. - 6.0 million and 1.8/6 in AD18-49):

Holding steady week to week, ABC took 2nd place in Adults 18-49 (1.8/6) to an "Empire"-fueled Fox, leading CBS by 13% (1.6/5) and NBC by 38% (1.3/4). For the 3rd Wednesday in a row, behind only "Empire," ABC delivered 4 of the Top 5 next-highest-rated TV series with "Modern Family" (2.7/8), "The Goldbergs" (2.1/7 - tied w/"Survivor"), "The Middle" (1.9/7) and "black-ish" (1.8/5).

· "The Goldbergs" (+5% - 2.1/7 vs. 2.0/7) and "Modern Family" (+4% - 2.7/8 vs. 2.6/8) were each up from their week-ago Fast Affiliate Adult 18-49 ratings ("Modern" adjusted up 1-tenth in the Nationals), while "The Middle" (1.9/7) and "black-ish" (1.8/5) held steady with their week-earlier preliminaries.

"The Middle" (8:00-8:30 p.m. - 7.1 million and 1.9/7 in AD18-49):

ABC's "The Middle" ran neck-and-neck with "Survivor" for the lead in the 8:00 p.m. half-hour among Adults 18-49 (1.9/7 vs. 2.0/8), while ranking No. 1 with Women 18-49, Adults 18-34, Women 18-34 and Teens 12-17.

"The Goldbergs" (8:30-9:00 p.m. - 6.5 million and 2.1/7 in AD18-49):

Building on its lead-in at 8:30 p.m. (+11%), ABC's "The Goldbergs" also finished in a near-tie with "Survivor" in Adults 18-49 (2.1/7 vs. 2.2/7) and ranked No. 1 in Women 18-49 (tie), Teens 12-17 and Kids 2-11 (tie). In addition to gaining 5% week to week in Adults 18-49, the ABC comedy also advanced in Total Viewers (+2%).

"Modern Family" (9:00-9:30 p.m. - 7.7 million and 2.7/8 in AD18-49):

Surging 29% from its lead-in at 9:00 p.m. in Adults 18-49, against the first half-hour of "Empire," ABC's "Modern Family" (2.7/8) outdelivered CBS' "Criminal Minds" by 69% (1.6/5) and NBC's "Law & Order: SVU" by 80% (1.5/5).

"black-ish" (9:30-10:00 p.m. - 5.8 million and 1.8/5 in AD18-49):

In the 9:30 p.m. half-hour, ABC's "black-ish" ranked as the No. 2 series in Adults 18-49 (1.8/5) to the conclusion of "Empire," beating "Criminal Minds" (+13% - 1.6/5) and "L&O: SVU" (+20% - 1.5/5).

"Nashville" (10:00-11:00 p.m. - 4.5 million and 1.1/4 in AD18-49):

At 10:00 p.m., ABC's "Nashville" was steady week to week in Adults 18-49 rating (1.1/4), finishing in a virtual tie with CBS' "Code Black" (1.2/4) and tying in audience share with NBC's "Chicago P.D." (1.4/4).

Live + 7 Day Season to Date: On average, "Nashville" jumps 75% over its L+SD Adult 18-49 rating to rank as Wednesday's biggest percentage gainer this season on the broadcast networks. The ABC drama delivers a substantially larger L+7 lift than its 10:00 p.m. drama competitors on CBS ("Code Black" +60%) and NBC ("Chicago P.D." +59%).

Projections Rationale:

Lifts vs. L+SD are based on 2015-16 season averages for originals (excluding the premiere).

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

New Series: Based on similar series.

A note about DVR penetration: DVR penetration in the Nielsen sample is currently at 48% 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 Nielsen measure to gauge the size of the TV audience.

Source: The Nielsen Company, Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings for 10/21/15.