ABC Towers Over Wednesday with the 44th Annual CMA Awards

Some early points, ahead of the regular press release:

With the Net's broadcast of "The 44th Annual CMA Awards," ABC towered over Wednesday's prime, beating out its nearest competition on the evening by 5.8 million viewers (16.5 million vs. 10.7 million - CBS) and by 74% in Adults 18-49 (4.7/13 vs. 2.7/8 - CBS and Fox tied). In fact ABC's Adult 18-49 winning advantage on the night with the "CMA Awards" increased noticeably year to year (74% vs. 66% in 2009). ABC ranked No. 1 in all 6 half-hours of the night in both Total Viewers and Adults 18-49. In fact it was a clean sweep on the evening, as the Net finished No. 1 on Wednesday across all key Adult, Men and Women demographics (18-34/18-49/25-54), as well as among Teens 12-17 and Kids 2-11.

· Retaining 96% of its overall audience from last year with its 2nd most-watched telecast since 2005, the "CMA Awards" posted its highest Men 18-34 number in 4 years and its best number with Kids 2-11 in 5 years - since 2006 and 2005, respectively.

· ABC's 2010 telecast of the "CMA Awards" bested CBS' 2010 telecast of the "ACM Awards" in April by 3.5 million viewers and by 47% in Adults 18-49 (CBS' "ACM Awards" on 4/18/10 = 13.0 million viewers and 3.2/8 in AD18-49).

· An estimated 33.8 million viewers watched at least some portion of "The 44th Annual CMA Awards" on ABC during its 3-hour broadcast - unduplicated Viewers 2+ that watched 6 minutes or more of the telecast.

Quick Take for Wednesday, November 10, 2010 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

With "The 44th Annual CMA Awards," ABC Towers Over Wednesday Night, Beating its Nearest Competitors by 5.8 Million Viewers and by 74% in Adults 18-49

In Viewers and Young Adults, ABC Marks its Top Wednesday in 1 Year, While Posting its Highest Adult 18-49 Number on Any Night This Season

ABC's "CMA Awards" Attracts its 2nd Largest Audience Since 2005, Earns its Best Men 18-34 Number in 4 Years and Hits its Top Kids 2-11 Number in 5 Years

ABC's 2010 "CMA Awards" Overshadows CBS' 2010 "ACM Awards" Telecast

"The 44th Annual CMA Awards" (8:00-11:00 p.m.)

With the Net's broadcast of "The 44th Annual CMA Awards," ABC towered over Wednesday's prime, beating out its nearest competition on the evening by 5.8 million viewers (16.5 million vs. 10.7 million - CBS) and by 74% in Adults 18-49 (4.7/13 vs. 2.7/8 - CBS and Fox tied). In fact ABC's Adult 18-49 winning advantage on the night with the "CMA Awards" increased noticeably year to year (74% vs. 66% in 2009). ABC ranked No. 1 in all 6 half-hours of the night in both Total Viewers and Adults 18-49. In fact it was a clean sweep on the evening, as the Net finished No. 1 on Wednesday across all key Adult, Men and Women demographics (18-34/18-49/25-54), as well as among Teens 12-17 and Kids 2-11. During the show's final hour (4.7/14), ABC produced the highest non-sports Adult 18-49 number for any network in the 10 o'clock hour on any night this season.

· In viewers and young adults, ABC posted its strongest Wednesday results in 1 year - since 11/11/10.

· The Network hit its best Adult 18-49 number on any night this season, while delivering the top non-sports rating for any evening on any night this season.

· Retaining 96% of its overall audience from last year (16.5 million vs. 17.2 million) with its 2nd most-watched telecast since 2005, the "CMA Awards" posted its highest Men 18-34 number in 4 years and its best number with Kids 2-11 in 5 years - since 2006 and 2005, respectively.

· ABC's 2010 telecast of the "CMA Awards" bested CBS' 2010 telecast of the "ACM Awards" in April by 3.5 million viewers and by 47% in Adults 18-49 (CBS' "ACM Awards" on 4/18/10 = 13.0 million viewers and 3.2/8 in AD18-49).

· An estimated 33.8 million viewers watched at least some portion of "The 44th Annual CMA Awards" on ABC during its 3-hour broadcast - unduplicated Viewers 2+ that watched 6 minutes or more of the telecast.

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 (Fast Affiliate, Live + Same Ratings), 11/10/10.