ABC's Winter Finales of its TGIT Dramas Grow to Multi-Week Highs

Live + Same Day Fast Affiliate Results:

ABC Thursday Prime (8-11pm - 7.9 million and 2.4/8 in AD18-49): With the winter finales of its TGIT drama lineup, ABC led the pack on Thursday for the 3rd week running with Adults 18-49 (2.4/8), topping an NFL-preemption-inflated CBS by 26% (1.9/6), while more than doubling NBC (+118% - 1.1/4) and Fox (+167% - 0.9/3). The Net was the entertainment leader for the 9th-consecutive Thursday this season.

· ABC's winter finales of Grey's (2.5/8), Scandal (2.4/8) and HTGAWM (2.3/8) ranked as Thursday's Top 3 dramas in Adults 18-49, once again dominating the other 6 dramas on the night across CBS, NBC and Fox. In fact, they were the night's Top 3 series after CBS' top-rated The Big Bang Theory.

· Gaining viewers (+5%) and young adults (+14%) week to week, ABC drew its biggest Thursday audience in 4 weeks and hit a 7-week high in Adults 18-49 - since 10/22/15 and 10/1/15, respectively.

· Growing week to week at 8pm in Total Viewers (+6% - 8.5 million vs. 8.0 million) and Adults 18-49 (+14% - 2.5/8 vs. 2.2/8), Grey's Anatomy delivered a best-since-premiere rating with young adults - since 9/24/15.

· Winning at 9pm, Scandal built week to week in viewers (+5% - 8.1 million vs. 7.7 million) and young adults (+9% - 2.4/8 vs. vs. 2.2/7) to earn 4-week highs - since 10/22/15.

· Dominating the 10 o'clock hour, How to Get Away with Murder was up for the 3rd-consecutive week in Total Viewers (+6% - 7.1 million vs. 6.7 million) and grew in Adults 18-49 (+21% - 2.3/8 vs. 1.9/7) to its strongest numbers since early October - since 10/8/15 and 10/1/15, respectively.

Thursday (11/19/15) - ABC Viewer and Adult 18-49 Projections, including Multiplatform + 35 Days

Grey's: L3 = 13.4 million/3.8 rating, L7 = 14.5 million/4.0 rating and MP+35 = 5.2 rating

Scandal: L3 = 12.5 million/3.7 rating, L7 = 13.3 million/3.9 rating and MP+35 = 5.0 rating

HTGAWM: L3 = 11.5 million/3.6 rating, L7 = 12.5 million/3.9 rating and MP+35 = 4.9 rating

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

ABC Wins Thursday, as Winter Finales of its TGIT Dramas Hit Multi-Week Highs

"Grey's" Grows to a Best-Since-Premiere Rating Among Adults 18-49

"Scandal" Builds to 4-Week Highs in Total Viewers and Young Adults

"Murder" Is Up for the 3rd Week in Viewers and Spikes 21% in Adults 18-49 to Deliver the Sophomore Drama's Strongest Results Since Early October

Thursday (11/19/15) - ABC Viewer and Adult 18-49 Projections, Including Multiplatform + 35 Days

"Grey's": L3 = 13.4 million/3.8 rating, L7 = 14.5 million/4.0 rating and MP+35 = 5.2 rating

"Scandal": L3 = 12.5 million/3.7 rating, L7 = 13.3 million/3.9 rating and MP+35 = 5.0 rating

"HTGAWM": L3 = 11.5 million/3.6 rating, L7 = 12.5 million/3.9 rating and MP+35 = 4.9 rating

Live + Same Day Results:

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

With the winter finales of its TGIT drama lineup, ABC led the pack on Thursday for the 3rd week running with Adults 18-49 (2.4/8), topping an NFL-preemption-inflated CBS by 26% (1.9/6) while more than doubling NBC (+118% - 1.1/4) and Fox (+167% - 0.9/3). The Net led 5 of 6 half-hours and was the entertainment leader for the 9th-consecutive Thursday this season.

· ABC's winter finales of "Grey's" (2.5/8), "Scandal" (2.4/8) and "HTGAWM" (2.3/8) ranked as Thursday's Top 3 dramas in Adults 18-49, once again dominating the other 6 dramas on the night across CBS, NBC and Fox. In fact, they were the night's Top 3 series after CBS' top-rated "The Big Bang Theory."

· Gaining viewers (+5%) and young adults (+14%) week to week, ABC drew its biggest Thursday audience in 4 weeks and hit a 7-week high in Adults 18-49 - since 10/22/15 and 10/1/15, respectively.

"Grey's Anatomy" (8:00-9:00 p.m. - 8.5 million and 2.5/8 in AD18-49):

At 8:00 p.m. against CBS' "Big Bang" and "Life in Pieces," ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" (2.5/8) once again more than doubled its drama competition in the hour with Adults 18-49, defeating NBC's "Heroes Reborn" by a best-ever 127% (1.1/4) and Fox's "Bones" by 150% (1.0/3). The ABC drama built from its first half-hour to its second half-hour, beating CBS' "Big Bang"-led "Life in Pieces" by 30% in Adults 18-49 at 8:30 p.m. (2.6/8 vs. 2.0/7).

· Growing week to week in Total Viewers (+6% - 8.5 million vs. 8.0 million) and Adults 18-49 (+14% - 2.5/8 vs. 2.2/8), "Grey's Anatomy" delivered a best-since-premiere rating with young adults - since 9/24/15.

"Scandal" (9:00-10:00 p.m. - 8.1 million and 2.4/8 in AD18-49):

At 9:00 p.m., ABC's "Scandal" dominated with Adults 18-49 (2.4/8), outdelivering CBS' comedies by 33% (1.8/6 - "Mom"/"2 Broke Girls"), NBC's "The Blacklist" by 60% (1.5/5) and Fox's "Sleepy Hollow" by 200% (0.8/2). "Scandal" was also the most watched series overall in the slot (8.1 million).

· "Scandal" built week to week in viewers (+5% - 8.1 million vs. 7.7 million) and young adults (+9% - 2.4/8 vs. vs. 2.2/7) to earn 4-week highs - since 10/22/15.

"How to Get Away with Murder" (10:00-11:00 p.m. - 7.1 million and 2.3/8 in AD18-49):

At 10:00 p.m., ABC's "How to Get Away with Murder" (2.3/8) beat the combined deliveries of its drama competition in the hour for the 2nd week in a row, topping the combination of CBS' "Elementary" (1.0/3) and NBC's "The Player" (0.8/3) by 28%. The sophomore ABC drama was also the most watched TV series in the hour (7.1 million).

· "Murder" was up for the 3rd-consecutive week in Total Viewers (+6% - 7.1 million vs. 6.7 million) and spiked 21% in Adults 18-49 (2.3/8 vs. 1.9/7) to its strongest numbers since early October - since 10/8/15 and 10/1/15, respectively.

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 measure to gauge the size of the TV audience.

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.

Source: The Nielsen Company, Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings, 11/19/15.