ABC Series Surge in L+7 DVR Playback Claiming TV's Top 2 Biggest A18-49 Gainers

Primetime Ratings Report For the week of September 20, 2010 (Premiere Week National Live + 7 Day Program Ratings)

ABC's Premiere Week Results Grow from First-Reported Numbers By 1.0 Million Viewers and by 14% Among Adults 18-49

ABC Claims TV's Top 2 Biggest Actual Adult 18-49 Gainers from Live+Same Day To Live+7 Day Ratings, with "Grey's Anatomy" and "Modern Family"

Based on Final Ratings, ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" Tops Fox's "Glee" As Television's No. 1 Scripted Program During Premiere Week 2010

ABC Airs 10 Series Registering Gains of 1 Million Viewers or More in the Finals

2010-11 WEEK No. 1 Live + 7 Day Ratings:

Based on the first round of Live + 7 Day rating for the new television season, ABC saw its premiere week primetime averages jump from its originally reported Live + Same Day numbers by 1.0 million viewers (9.6 million to 10.6 million) and by +14% in Adults 18-49 (2.8/8 to 3.2/9). With Household DVR penetration rising sharply year to year (from 33% to 38%), ABC's premiere week increases were bigger this year than last from the initially reported Live + Same Day numbers to the final Live + 7 Day averages. ABC finished as the No. 2 network during premiere week among Total Viewers and Adults 18-49 in the Live + 7 Day averages.

· Similarly to last season, ABC series were among the most popularly recorded and played back. ABC aired TV's Top 2 biggest actual Adult 18-49 gainers during premiere week, as "Grey's Anatomy" surged by 1.4 rating points (5.4 rating to a 6.8 rating) and "Modern Family" jumped by 1.3 rating points (5.1 rating to 6.4 rating).

· Based on the Live + 7 Day Ratings, ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" emerged as TV's No. 1 scripted show during season-premiere week among Adults 18-49, moving two-tenths of a rating point ahead of Fox's "Glee" (6.8 rating vs. 6.6 rating).

· A total of 10 of ABC's series gained 1.0 million viewers or more on average from their originally reported numbers to the final DVR playback numbers, including "Grey's Anatomy" (+2.9 million), "Modern Family" (+2.8 million), "Castle" (+2.3 million), "Desperate Housewives" (+2.1 million), "Private Practice" (+2.1 million), "Detroit 1-8-7" (+1.7 million), "Brothers & Sisters" (+1.6 million), "Cougar Town" (+1.5 million), "The Whole Truth" (+1.1 million) and "The Middle" (+1.0 million).

· Among Adults 18-49, 7 of ABC's scripted series registered substantial ratings increases of 7-tenths of rating point or more: "Grey's Anatomy" (+1.4 rating point - top gainer overall), "Modern Family" (+1.3 rating - biggest comedy gainer), "Private Practice" (+1.0 rating), "Desperate Housewives" (+1.0 rating), "Castle" (+0.8 rating), "Cougar Town" (+0.7 rating) and "Brothers & Sisters" (+0.7 rating).

· With an increase in DVR penetration year to year, a number of ABC returning series posted bigger increases than last year during premiere week via DVR playback in Total Viewers and/or Adults 18-49, including "Modern Family," "Castle," "Desperate Housewives," "Cougar Town," "Brothers & Sisters," "DWTS," "20/20" and "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."

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 33% 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: The Nielsen Company (National Live+7 Day Program Ratings), week of 9/20/10.