ABC Wins Premiere Monday, as Dancing and Castle Open Up Sharply

Some early info on ABC's season-premiere Monday, ahead of the regular press release:

ABC won the opening night of the 2010-11 TV Season in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, leading second-place CBS by 5.8 million viewers and by 11% in Adults 18-49. ABC posted its most-watched season premiere Monday in 11 years - since 1999.

Surging over its year-ago season premiere by an impressive 18% in Total Viewers and by 22% in Adults 18-49, ABC's Dancing with the Stars opened its 11th season as Monday's #1 TV show in viewers and young adults. Dominating its 2-hour time slot, DWTS topped its nearest competition (CBS' comedy block) by 10.0 million viewers and by 28% in Adults 18-49. Attracting a younger audience, DWTS marked its highest-rated Fall premiere in 3 years among Adults 18-34 and Women 18-34 (since 2007), while hitting its best-ever Fall delivery among Teens 12-17.

In the 10 o'clock hour, ABC's Castle jumped over its year-ago season opener in Total Viewers (+20%) and Adults 18-49 (+22%). In fact the ABC drama series marked its biggest numbers since April in viewers and young adults - since 4/12/10. Opposite CBS' highly-promoted debut of Hawaii Five-0 in the final hour of the night, the third-season opener of Castle beat out NBC's debut of Chase by 3.3 million viewers and by 12% in Adults 18-49. Please note that Castle was one of TV's top gainers in the 10 o'clock hour last season via recorded playback. Castle generates substantial increases over its first-reported numbers through DVR playback, picking up an average 1.8 million viewers and an additional 6-tenths of an Adult 18-49 rating point (+23%) from the initially-reported Live + Same Day Numbers to the Live + 7 Day DVR finals (based on original telecasts for the 2009-10 TV Season).

Quick Take for Monday, September 20, 2010 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

ABC's Wins the Opening Night of the Season, Generating Its Most-Watched Season-Premiere Monday in 11 Years

Surging Year to Year, "Dancing with the Stars" is Monday's No. 1 TV Show

"DWTS" Marks its Top Fall Opener in 3 Years in Adults 18-34 and Best-Ever in Teens

Building Sharply On its Year-Ago Premiere, ABC's "Castle" Logs The Series' Top Telecast Since April in Viewers and Young Adults

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

ABC won the opening night of the 2010-11 TV Season in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, outpacing second-place CBS by 5.8 million viewers (17.7 million vs. 11.9 million) and by 11% in Adults 18-49 (4.2/11 vs. 3.8/10).

· ABC posted its most-watched season premiere Monday in 11 years � since 1999.

"Dancing with the Stars" (8:00-10:00 p.m.)

Surging over its year-ago season premiere by an impressive 18% in Total Viewers (21.0 million vs. 17.8 million) and by 22% in Adults 18-49 (5.0/13 vs. 4.1/10), ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" opened its 11th season as Monday's No. 1 TV show in viewers and young adults. Dominating its 2-hour time slot, "DWTS" topped its nearest competition (CBS' comedy block = 11.0 million and 3.9/10) by 10.0 million viewers and by 28% in Adults 18-49.

· Attracting a younger audience, "DWTS" marked its highest-rated Fall premiere in 3 years (since 2007) in Adults 18-34 and Women 18-34 (3.8/11-tie and 5.8/15, respectively), while hitting its best-ever Fall opener in Teens 12-17 (2.8/10).

"Castle" (10:00-11:00 p.m.)

Opposite CBS' highly-promoted debut of "Hawaii Five-0" in the final hour of the night, the third-season opener of "Castle" beat out NBC's debut of "Chase" by 3.3 million viewers (11.2 million vs. 7.9 million) and by 12% in Adults 18-49 (2.8/8 vs. 2.5/7). "Castle" finished No. 1 the 10 o'clock hour, beating "Hawaii Five-0" among Women 18-34 (2.9/8 vs. 2.6/7).

· ABC's "Castle jumped over its year-ago season opener (9.3 million and 2.3/6 on 9/21/09) in Total Viewers (+20%) and Adults 18-49 (+22%). In fact the ABC drama series marked its biggest numbers since April in viewers and young adults � since 4/12/10.

· Please note that "Castle" was one of TV's top gainers in the 10 o'clock hour last season via recorded playback. "Castle" generates substantial increases over its first-reported numbers through DVR playback, picking up an average 1.8 million viewers and an additional 6-tenths of an Adult 18-49 rating point (+23%) from the initially-reported Live + Same Day Numbers to the Live + 7 Day DVR finals (based on original telecasts for the 2009-10 TV Season).

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 38% currently, from 32% 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), 9/20/10.