The Billboard Music Awards Boost ABC to #1 for the 5th Straight Sunday in Adults 18-49

Early info on ABC's Sunday, ahead of the regular press release.

Registering its longest winning streak on the evening in 3 years, ABC finished #1 for the 5th consecutive Sunday in Adults 18-49, overshadowing Fox's night of season finales by 26%, NBC with the 2-hour season ender of Celebrity Apprentice by 50% and CBS with its two hours of 60 Minutes and a Jesse Stone movie by 85%. Featuring the season finale of America's Funniest Home Videos and the 2012 Billboard Music Awards, the Net ranked #1 in all 8 half-hours of the evening in the key young adult sales demo. The Billboard Music Awards stood as the night's highest-rated broadcast overall with young adults.

Featuring the conclusion of its two-part season finale, ABC's America's Funniest Home Videos ranked #1 in the 7 o'clock hour for the 4th week in a row in Adults 18-49.

ABC's 3-hour broadcast of The 2012 Billboard Music Awards ran a dominant #1 in its 8-11pm time period in Adults 18-49, leading Fox by 42%, NBC by 42% and CBS by 108%. The wide-appealing music awards show also finished #1 against its rivals in the time period with Adults 18-34, Adults 25-54, across all key Women (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54), Teens 12-17 and Kids 2-11.

· Head to head from 9-11pm, ABC's Billboard Music Awards towered over NBC's season finale of Celebrity Apprentice by 27% in Adults 18-49 and by 64% in Adults 18-34.

· The Billboard Music Awards attracted its 2nd-largest audience since 2003 (since 12/10/03) and retained 100% of its Teen 12-17 delivery year to year. In fact with Teens 12-17 and Kids 2-11, The 2012 Billboard Music Awards produced ABC's best numbers in the time period since the 2012 Academy Awards 3 months ago - since 2/26/12.

Quick Take for Sunday, May 20, 2012 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

Delivering its Longest Sunday Winning Streak in 3 Years, ABC Ranks No. 1 on the Night for the 5th Straight Week in Adults 18-49

"AFHV" Finishes No. 1 in its Slot with Adults 18-49 for the 4th Consecutive Week

The Network's Broadcast of "The 2012 Billboard Music Awards" Dominates Its 3-Hour Time Period to Qualify as Sunday's No. 1 Program with Adults 18-49

"The Billboard Music Awards" Attracts its 2nd-Largest Audience Since 2003, and Among Kids and Teens Posts the Net's Top Ratings in the Slot since the "Oscars"

Sunday Night (7:00-11:00 p.m.)

Registering its longest winning streak on the evening in 3 years (since the end of the 2008-09 season), ABC finished No. 1 for the 5th consecutive Sunday in Adults 18-49 (2.4/7), overshadowing Fox's night of season finales by 26% (1.9/6), NBC with the 2-hour season ender of "Celebrity Apprentice" by 50% (1.6/5) and CBS with its two hours of "60 Minutes" and a "Jesse Stone" movie by 85% (1.3/4). Featuring the season finale of "America's Funniest Home Videos" and "The 2012 Billboard Music Awards," the Net ranked No. 1 in all 8 half-hours of the evening in the key young adult sales demo. "The Billboard Music Awards" stood as the night's highest-rated broadcast overall with young adults.

"America's Funniest Home Videos" (7:00-8:00 p.m.)

Featuring the conclusion of its two-part season finale, ABC's "America's Funniest Home Videos" ranked No. 1 in the 7 o'clock hour for the 4th week in a row in Adults 18-49 (1.5/5).

"The 2012 Billboard Music Awards" (8:00-11:00 p.m.)

ABC's 3-hour broadcast of "The 2012 Billboard Music Awards" ran a dominant No. 1 in its 8:00-11:00 p.m. time period in Adults 18-49 (2.7/7), leading Fox by 42% (1.9/5), NBC by 42% (1.9/5) and CBS by 108% (1.3/4). The wide-appealing music awards show also finished No. 1 against its rivals in the time period with Adults 18-34, Adults 25-54, across all key Women (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54), Teens 12-17 and Kids 2-11.

· Head to head from 9:00-11:00 p.m., ABC's "Billboard Music Awards" towered over NBC's season finale of "Celebrity Apprentice" by 27% in Adults 18-49 (2.8/7 vs. 2.2/6) and by 64% in Adults 18-34 (2.3/7 vs. 1.4/4).

· "The Billboard Music Awards" (7.4 million) attracted its 2nd-largest audience since 2003 (since 12/10/03) and retained 100% of its Teen 12-17 (2.4/9) delivery year to year. In fact with Teens 12-17 and Kids 2-11, "The 2012 Billboard Music Awards" produced ABC's best numbers in the time period since the 2012 Academy Awards 3 months ago - since 2/26/12.

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 44% currently, from 41% 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), 05/20/12.