ABC Delivers Thursday's Top 3 Dramas - TGIT Sees Strong L+3 Playback in Last Week's Return

ABC Thursday Prime (8-11pm - 6.2 million and 1.8/6 in AD18-49): It as another close 3-way race on Thursday in Live + Same Day in Adults 18-49, between ABC (1.8/6), CBS (1.9/6) and Fox (2.0/7). ABC is projected to win the night by strong margins in Adults 18-49, once L+3 and L+7 TV playback is included in the averages. ABC took first place on the evening in L+SD Adults 18-34 and key Women (W18-34/W18-49).

Live + 3 Day TV Playback for Last Thursday (2/11/16): ABC's TGIT dramas ranked among last Thursday's Top 5 gainers in TV playback with Adults 18-49: How to Get Away with Murder (+1.4 to a 3.2 rating) - #2 (behind only Big Bang), Scandal (+1.2 to a 3.3 rating) - #3 and Grey's Anatomy (+1.0 to a 3.4 rating) - #5. As a result, ABC won Thursday by strong margins among Adults 18-49 (3.3 rating) in the L+3 numbers, moving out of a tie with Fox in L+SD to dominate by 32% (2.5 rating), while also increasing its lead over CBS (2.6 rating) to 27% versus 11% in L+SD.

· ABC's Grey's (2.2/8), Scandal (1.7/6) and How to Get Away with Murder (1.4/5) ranked as Thursday's Top 3 dramas for the 2nd week in a row in Adults 18-49, leading the other 4 dramas on the night, including NBC's You Me and the Apocalypse (0.6/2), The Blacklist (1.3/4) and Shades of Blue (1.1/4), as well as CBS' Elementary (1.0/4). In addition, trailing only CBS' top-rated Big Bang Theory, Grey's was the #2 TV show on Thursday in the key sales demo.

· Winning the 10 o'clock hour in Adults 18-49, ABC's How to Get Away with Murder (1.4/5) defeated NBC's Shades of Blue by 27% (1.1/4) and CBS' Elementary by 40% (1.1/4).

Quick Take for Thursday, February 18, 2016 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

ABC's TGIT Delivers Thursday's Top 3 Dramas in Adults 18-49 and Sees Strong L+3 Lifts for Last Week's Return of the Lineup

"Grey's" Nearly Quadruples Its Drama Competition at 8 p.m. in Adults 18-49

"Scandal" Beats Its 9 p.m. Drama Competition by 31% in Adults 18-49

"HTGAWM" Wins at 10 p.m. for the 2nd Week in a Row in Adults 18-49

Thursday (2/18/16) - ABC Viewer and Adult 18-49 Projection With Multiplatform + 35 Days

"Grey's": L3 = 12.0 million/3.2 rating, L7 = 13.0 million/3.4 rating and MP+35 = 4.7 rating

"Scandal": L3 = 9.4 million/2.7 rating, L7 = 10.1 million/2.8 rating and MP+35 = 3.9 rating

"HTGAWM": L3 = 8.0 million/2.4 rating, L7 = 8.7 million/2.5 rating and MP+35 = 3.6 rating

Live + Same Day Results:

ABC Thursday Primetime (8:00-11:00 p.m. - 6.2 million and 1.8/6 in AD18-49):

It was another close 3-way race on Thursday in Live + Same Day Adults 18-49 between ABC (1.8/6), CBS (1.9/6) and Fox (2.0/7). ABC is projected to win the night by strong margins in Adults 18-49, once L+3 and L+7 TV playback is included in the averages. ABC took first place on the evening in L+SD Adults 18-34 and key Women (W18-34/W18-49).

· ABC's "Grey's" (2.2/8), "Scandal" (1.7/6) and "How to Get Away with Murder" (1.4/5) ranked as Thursday's Top 3 dramas for the 2nd week in a row in Adults 18-49, leading the other 4 dramas on the night, including NBC's "You Me and the Apocalypse" (0.6/2), "The Blacklist" (1.3/4) and "Shades of Blue" (1.1/4), as well as CBS' "Elementary" (1.0/4). In addition, trailing only CBS' top-rated "Big Bang Theory," "Grey's" was the No. 2 TV show on Thursday in the key sales demo.

Live + 3 Day TV Playback for Last Thursday (2/11/16):

ABC's TGIT dramas ranked among last Thursday's Top 5 gainers in TV playback with Adults 18-49: "How to Get Away with Murder" (+1.4 to a 3.2 rating) - No. 2 (behind only "Big Bang"), "Scandal" (+1.2 to a 3.3 rating) - No. 3 and "Grey's Anatomy" (+1.0 to a 3.4 rating) - No. 5. As a result, ABC won Thursday by strong margins among Adults 18-49 (3.3 rating) in the L+3 numbers, moving out of a tie with Fox in L+SD to dominate by 32% (2.5 rating), while also increasing its lead over CBS (2.6 rating) to 27% versus 11% in L+SD.

"Grey's Anatomy" (8:00-9:00 p.m. - 7.8 million and 2.2/8 in AD18-49):

At 8:00 p.m. against CBS' "Big Bang Theory" and "Life in Pieces," ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" (2.2/8) outdelivered the first hour of Fox's 2-hour "Idol" in Adults 18-49 (+16% - 1.9/7) and nearly quadrupled the delivery of NBC's "You, Me and the Apocalypse" (+267% - 0.6/3).

"Scandal" (9:00-10:00 p.m. - 6.1 million and 1.7/6 in AD18-49):

At 9:00 p.m., ABC's "Scandal" took second in the hour among Adults 18-49 (1.7/6-tie), beating its drama competition in the slot by 31% (NBC's "The Blacklist" = 1.3/4).

"How to Get Away with Murder" (10:00-11:00 p.m. 4.8 million and 1.4/5 in AD18-49):

Winning the 10 o'clock hour for the 2nd week in a row with Adults 18-49, ABC's "How to Get Away with Murder" (1.4/5) defeated NBC's "Shades of Blue" by 27% (1.1/4) and CBS' "Elementary" by 40% (1.0/4).

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 02/18/16.