ABC Scores Biggest Primetime New Year's Eve Numbers in 11 Years

With its New Year's Eve lineup, featuring "New Year's Rockin' Eve: The 40th Anniversary Party" and "Dick Cark's Primetime New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2012," ABC finished an dominant No. 1 on the evening among Total Viewers (9.8 million) and Adults 18-49 (3.0/11), winning all 6 half-hours of the night and beating the combined network competition by 3.1 million viewers and by 76% with young adults (CBS, NBC and Fox combined = 6.7 million and 1.7/6).

· Among viewers and young adults, ABC marked its biggest New Year's Eve numbers during primetime in 11 years - since 12/31/00. Hitting season-highs on the night, ABC generated its most-watched Saturday night overall in more than 2 years - since 12/5/09 with coverage of the college football Big 12 Championship game.

"New Year's Rockin' Eve: The 40th Anniversary Party" (8:00-10:00 p.m.)

ABC took full control from 8:00-10:00 p.m. with "New Year's Rockin' Eve: The 40th Anniversary Party," leading runner-up CBS by 232% in viewers (8.3 million vs. 2.5 million) and by 380% with young adults (2.4/9 vs. 0.5/2).

"Dick Clark's Primetime New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2012" (10:00-11:00 p.m.)

Surging over its lead-in, ABC's broadcast of "Dick Clark's Primetime New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2012" towered over the final hour of the night and ranked as the No. 1 TV program in prime with Total Viewers (12.9 million) and across each of the key Adult demos: Adults 18-34 (3.3/15), Adults 18-49 (4.1/15) and Adults 25-54 (5.0/15). In fact during the final hour of prime, "Dick Clark's Primetime New Year's Rockin' Eve" more than doubled the combined deliveries of CBS and NBC with Total Viewers (+105% - 12.9 million vs. 6.3 million) and Adults 18-49 (+156% - 4.1/15 vs. 1.6/6).

· Head-to-head from 10:00-11:00 p.m., ABC's "Dick Clark's Primetime New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest" crushed NBC's "New Year's Eve with Carson Daly" (3.0 million & 0.9/3) by nearly 10 million viewers and by 356% in Adults 18-49.

· "Dick Clark's Primetime New Year's Rockin' Eve" pulled in its biggest audience ever on ABC - the special premiered on the Net in 2000. The show shot up over last year's telecast by 3.7 million viewers and by 46% in Adults 18-49 (9.2 million and 2.8/11 on 12/31/10).

Attracting 22.6 Million Viewers, ABC's Late-Night New Year's Rockin' Eve Hits an 11-Year High

Based on Nielsen's special-ordered True Fast National Live + Same Day Program Ratings:

"Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2012 - Part 1" (11:35 p.m. -12:32 a.m.):

On the program's 40th anniversary, ABC's annual broadcast of "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2012 - Part 1" pulled in an average audience of 22.6 million Total Viewers and delivered a 7.4 rating among Adults 18-49. In viewers and young adults, "New Year's Rockin' Eve" stands as ABC's 2nd-biggest special after the "Academy Awards."

· Comparing it to all TV shows for the week so far (week of December 26, 2011), "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2012 - Part 1" is projected to stand as the week's No. 1 non-sports television program in both Total Viewers and Adults 18-49. Although competitive numbers are currently unavailable, last year the ABC program beat out its combined New Year's competition on NBC and Fox during the hour by wide margins.

· Growing its overall audience for the 3rd straight year, ABC's "New Year's Rockin' Eve - Part 1" surged by 3.8 million viewers year over year (22.6 million vs. 18.8 million) to generate its most-watched telecast since 2000 - since 12/31/00. Jumping by double digits over last year with Adults 18-34 (+25% - 6.0 rating vs. 4.8 rating) and Adults 18-49 (+19% - 4.4 rating vs. 6.2 rating), the show achieved 8-year-highs in both key young adult demos - since 12/31/03.

"Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2012 - Part 2" (1:00-2:00 a.m.):

Despite the late time period, the second segment of "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest - Part 2" attracted an average audience of 6.2 million Total Viewers and a 2.4 rating in Adults 18-49.

· Shooting up by 19% in Total Viewers (6.2 million vs. 5.2 million) and by 26% in Adults 18-49 (2.4 rating vs. 1.9 rating) year to year, the final segment of the show attracted its largest audience in 10 years and its highest young adult rating in 9 years - since 12/31/01 and 12/31/02, respectively.