ABC's "The Bachelor" Holds Strong Against "The Voice"

Some early info on ABC's Monday, ahead of the regular press release.

Up against NBC's Super Bowl-promoted premieres (2-hour The Voice/Smash) and CBS' original Monday lineup, ABC combination of The Bachelor and Castle beat out Fox's original drama lineup (House/Alcatraz) during primetime by 1.4 million viewers and by 4% in Adults 18-49. The Net finished #2 on the night to NBC with Women 18-34.

Opposite the Super Bowl-fueled 2-hour Monday premiere of The Voice and CBS' original comedy block, ABC's The Bachelor built audience from its first hour to second hour, outdelivering Fox's dramas in head-to-head competition from 8-10pm by double-digits in Total Viewers (+17%) and Adults 18-49 (+13%).

· Despite facing increased competition week to week, ABC's The Bachelor retained 100% of its Total Viewer and Adult 18-49 numbers from the prior week, while growing 3% in Women 18-34. In fact on all 3 measures, The Bachelor marked its 2nd-highest numbers this season.

Quick Take for Monday, February 6, 2012 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

ABC Tops Fox on the Night by 1.4 Million Viewers and by 4% in Adults 18-49

Versus Increased Original Competition Week to Week, ABC's "The Bachelor" Scores Season's 2nd-Best Numbers in Total Viewers, Adults 18-49 and Women 18-34

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

Up against NBC's Super Bowl-promoted premieres ("The Voice"/"Smash") and CBS' original Monday lineup, ABC combination of "The Bachelor" and "Castle" beat out Fox's original drama lineup ("House"/"Alcatraz") during primetime by 1.4 million viewers (8.4 million vs. 7.0 million) and by 4% in Adults 18-49 (2.4/6 vs. 2.3/6). The Net finished No. 2 on the night to NBC with Women 18-34.

"The Bachelor" (8:00-10:00 p.m.)

Opposite the Super Bowl-fueled 2-hour Monday premiere of "The Voice" and CBS' original comedy block, ABC's "The Bachelor" built audience from its first hour to second hour, outdelivering Fox's dramas in head-to-head competition from 8:00-10:00 p.m. by double-digits in Total Viewers (+17% - 8.2 million vs. 7.0 million) and Adults 18-49 (+13% - 2.6/6 vs. 2.3/6).

· Despite facing increased competition week to week, ABC's "The Bachelor" retained 100% of its Total Viewer and Adult 18-49 numbers from the prior week, while growing 3% in Women 18-34. In fact on all 3 measures, "The Bachelor" marked its 2nd-highest numbers this 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 43% currently, from 39% at the same point in 2011. 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), 2/6/12.