ABC's Wins Wednesday as "Off the Map" Opens Strong Despite Viewing Disruptions

Please note that due to coverage of the Tucson Memorial, Nielsen's Fast Affiliate estimates for Wednesday's programming between 8:30-10pm are approximate and subject to change with the release of the National ratings later today. Also because of the irregular start and end times and last-minute scheduling changes, normal television viewing patterns were disrupted throughout the evening.

With 2 repeat and 2 original comedies, scheduled around the Tucson Memorial, and the series debut of Off the Map from 10-11pm, ABC won Wednesday night in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49. In fact ABC finished #1 on Wednesday in Adults 18-49 for the 3rd week in a row..

· The Net was up sharply over the same night last year in both viewers (+55%) and young adults (+32%).

Starting off the evening with a dominant victory at 8pm, ABC's The Middle marked its 4th consecutive week as the #1 TV show in its half-hour among Adults 18-49. The ABC sophomore comedy was also the most-watched television show overall in its half-hour for the 2nd week in a row.

· Building its numbers for the 2nd straight week, The Middle hit series highs in both Total Viewers and Adults 18-49.

Airing at different times across in various time zones (9:20-9:51pm ET/9-9:31pm PT), ABC's Modern Family qualified as Wednesday's #1 TV show for its 12th straight first-run airing this season in Adults 18-49.

From 10-11pm, ABC's series debut of Off the Map delivered big time period improvement for the Net, bringing 70% more Total Viewers and 83% more Adults 18-49 to the hour over its performance with regular programming this season. In fact among young adults, the new show topped the season averages of ABC's last 7 dramas in the hour.

· In viewers and young adults, Off the Map achieved 15-month time-period highs for ABC with regular programming in the hour - since 9/23/09 and 9/30/09, respectively.

· The new ABC drama took second place in the hour among Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, beating CBS programming, and ranked #1 with key Men (M18-49/M25-54) and Teens 12-17.

Quick Take for Wednesday, January 12, 2011 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

Winning the Night with Year-Over-Year Gains in Viewers and Young Adults, ABC is No. 1 on Wednesday in Adults 18-49 for the 3rd Consecutive Week

Dominating its Slot and Finishing No. 1 in Adults 18-49 for the 4th Week in Row, ABC's "The Middle" Achieves New Series-Highs in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49

Airing at Various Times Across the Country, ABC's "Modern Family" Is Wednesday's No. 1 TV Show in Adults 18-49 for its 12th Straight Original

ABC's "Off the Map" Opens with Big Time Period Improvement in Viewers and Young Adults, Scoring 15-Month Highs for the Net in Wednesday's 10pm Hour

Please note: Due to coverage of the Tucson Memorial, Nielsen's Fast Affiliate estimates for Wednesday's programming between 8:30-10:00 p.m. are approximate and subject to change with the release of the National ratings later today. Also because of the irregular start and end times and last-minute scheduling changes, normal television viewing patterns were disrupted throughout the evening.

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

With 2 repeat and 2 original comedies scheduled around the Tucson Memorial, and the series debut of "Off the Map" from 10:00-11:00 p.m., ABC won Wednesday night by wide margins over its nearest competition (NBC) in Total Viewers (+2.7 million - 9.0 million vs. 6.3 million) and Adults 18-49 (2.9/8 vs. 1.8/5). In fact the Network finished No. 1 on Wednesday in Adults 18-49 for the 3rd week in a row.

· ABC marked its 2nd-highest-rated Wednesday this season in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, trailing only the night of its "CMA Awards" telecast in November.

· The Net was up sharply over the same night last year (5.8 million and 2.2/6 on 1/13/10) in both viewers (+55%) and young adults (+32%).

"The Middle" (8:00-8:30 p.m.)

Starting off the evening with a dominant victory at 8pm, ABC's "The Middle" marked its 4th consecutive week as the No. 1 TV show in its half-hour among Adults 18-49 (3.1/9). The ABC sophomore comedy was also the most-watched (10.5 million) television show overall in its half-hour for the 2nd week in a row.

· Building its numbers for the 2nd straight week, "The Middle" hit series highs in both Total Viewers and Adults 18-49.

"Modern Family" (Various Times)

Airing at different times across various time zones (9:20-9:51pm ET/9-9:31pm PT), ABC's "Modern Family" qualified as Wednesday's No. 1 TV show for its 12th straight first-run airing this season in Adults 18-49 (estimated 3.7/10).

"Off the Map" (10:00-11:00 p.m.)

From 10:00-11:00 p.m., ABC's series debut of "Off the Map" delivered big time period improvement for the Net, bringing 70% more Total Viewers (7.5 million vs. 4.4 million) and 83% more Adults 18-49 (2.2/6 vs. 1.2/4) to the hour over its performance with regular programming this season. In fact among young adults, the new show topped the season averages of ABC's last 7 drama series that have aired in the time period.

· In viewers and young adults, "Off the Map" achieved 15-month time-period highs for ABC with regular programming in the hour - since 9/23/09 and 9/30/09, respectively.

· The new ABC drama earned second place in the hour among Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, beating CBS programming, and ranked No. 1 with key Men (M18-49/M25-54) and Teens 12-17.

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 34% at the same point in 2010. 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 Day Ratings), 1/12/11.