The Bachelor Marks Most-Watched Season since 2003

Some early info ahead of the regular press release for ABC's Monday night.

Monday Night (8-11pm): Hitting a Monday season high in young adults, with the season finale of The Bachelor: On the Wings of Love and the After the Final Rose special, ABC stood as Monday's #1 network in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, beating runner-up CBS' all-original schedule by 2.0 million viewers (14.8 million vs. 12.8 million) and by 23% in Adults 18-49 (5.3/14 vs. 4.3/11).

� ABC posted its highest-rated Monday among Adults 18-49 in 1 year � since 3/2/09.

The Bachelor Season Finale (8-10pm): ABC's 14th season finale of The Bachelor won its time period, topping second-place CBS' original Monday comedy block by 1.8 million viewers (15.0 million vs. 13.2 million) and by 11% in Adults 18-49 (5.2/13 vs. 4.7/12). In addition, the ABC unscripted show ranked #1 against regular competition in its 2-hour time period in Adults 18-34 for the 7th week running and qualified as Monday's #1 TV series among Women 18-34 on all 9 telecasts this season.

Please Note: The Bachelor finale ran until 10:05pm, so the numbers will adjust upward in the final National ratings this afternoon.

� On average during its 14th season run, The Bachelor: On the Wings of Love attracted an average audience of 12.0 million viewers, up over last season's 11.5 million, generating the biggest overall audience for the franchise since Fall 2003 � going back 10 seasons/cycles.

The Bachelor: After the Final Rose (10-11pm): The Bachelor: On the Wings of Love: After the Final Rose dominated the 10 o'clock hour in Total Viewers (14.3 million) and Adults 18-49 (5.4/14), finishing well ahead of CBS' CSI: Miami (12.1 million & 3.4/9) and the second hour of NBC's 2-hour Law & Order (7.9 million and 2.1/6). In viewers and young adults, The Bachelor: After the Final Rose posted the special's 2nd-highest numbers ever.

Quick Take for Monday, March 1, 2010 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

Hitting a Monday Season High in Young Adults, ABC is the Evening's No. 1 Net in Viewers and Adults 18-49

Season Finale of ABC's "The Bachelor" Leads its 2-Hour Time Period, Topping CBS' Original Comedy Block by 1.8 Million Viewers and by 11% in Adults 18-49

On Average, 14th Season of "The Bachelor" Generates the Biggest Overall Audience for the Franchise Since Fall 2003

Dominating the 10 o'Clock Hour in Viewers and Young Adults, ABC's "The Bachelor: After the Final Rose" Draws the Special's 2nd-Highest Numbers Ever

Monday Night (8:00-11:00 p.m.)

Hitting a Monday season high in young adults, with the season finale of "The Bachelor: On the Wings of Love" and the "After the Final Rose" special, ABC stood as Monday's No. 1 network in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, beating runner-up CBS' all-original schedule by 2.0 million viewers (14.8 million vs. 12.8 million) and by 23% in Adults 18-49 (5.3/14 vs. 4.3/11).

� ABC posted its highest-rated Monday among Adults 18-49 in 1 year � since 3/2/09.

"The Bachelor: On the Wings of Love" (8:00-10:00 p.m.)

ABC's 14th season finale of "The Bachelor" won its time period, topping second-place CBS' original Monday comedy block by 1.8 million viewers (15.0 million vs. 13.2 million) and by 11% in Adults 18-49 (5.2/13 vs. 4.7/12). Up over the previous week's telecast by 3.7 million viewers and by 33% in young adults (11.3 million & 3.9/10 in Adults 18-49 on 2/22/10) with a season-high performance, "The Bachelor" drew its second best finale numbers in 10 seasons in Total Viewers and in 9 seasons in Adults 18-49 � since Fall 2003 and Spring 2004, respectively. Additionally, the ABC unscripted show ranked No. 1 against regular competition in its 2-hour time period in Adults 18-34 (4.8/14) for the 7th week running and qualified as Monday's No. 1 TV series among Women 18-34 (7.1/19) on all 9 telecasts this season.

Please Note: "The Bachelor" finale ran until 10:05pm, so the numbers will adjust upward in the final National ratings this afternoon.

� On average during its 14th season run, "The Bachelor: On the Wings of Love" attracted an average audience of 12.0 million viewers, up over last season's 11.5 million, generating the biggest overall audience for the franchise since Fall 2003 � going back 10 seasons/cycles.

� "The Bachelor" built its audience during each half-hour from 8:00-10:00 p.m., growing by 2.6 million viewers (13.9 million to 16.5 million) and by 26% Adults 18-49 (4.7/13 to 5.9/14) from its first half-hour to its final half-hour, as Jake Pavelka proposed to Sanford, Florida resident Vienna Giraldi.

"The Bachelor: On the Wings of Love: After the Final Rose" (10:00-11:00 p.m.)

"The Bachelor: On the Wings of Love: After the Final Rose" dominated the 10 o'clock hour in Total Viewers (14.3 million) and Adults 18-49 (5.4/14), finishing well ahead of CBS' "CSI: Miami" (12.1 million & 3.4/9) and the second hour of NBC's 2-hour "Law & Order" (7.9 million and 2.1/6). In viewers and young adults, "The Bachelor: After the Final Rose" posted the special's 2nd-highest numbers ever.

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 36% currently, from 30% at the same point in 2009. 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.

Source: Nielsen Media Research (Fast Affiliate, Live + Same Day Ratings), 3/1/10.