"The Bachelorette" Finale Grows Year to Year to Make ABC a Dominant #1 on Sunday

Early info on ABC's season finale coverage of The Bachelorette.

Featuring the 9th season finale of The Bachelorette and the After the Final Rose special, ABC overshadowed Sunday night, beating out its nearest competition (CBS) by 52% in Total Viewers and by 117% in Adults 18-49 (#1 in all 8 half hours of prime). It was ABC's 3rd straight Sunday to lead in Adults 18-49.

· ABC's The Bachelorette and The Bachelorette: After the Final Rose special stood as Sunday's Top 2 TV programs with viewers and young adults.

Hitting summer-highs in viewers and young adults, ABC's encore America's Funniest Home Videos won the 7pm hour for the 2nd week in a row in Adults 18-49.

Jumping over its lead-in at 8pm and gaining audience throughout its over 2-hour broadcast, The Bachelorette season closer dominated its time period with season-highs, soaring over its most-recent Monday telecast by 1.4 million viewers and by 36% in Adults 18-49. Head to head from 8-10pm, ABC's The Bachelorette nearly tripled Fox's Teen Choice 2012 in Total Viewers (+187%) and Adults 18-49 (+172%).

· The Bachelorette was up over its year-ago finale (on 8/1/11) by 7% in Adults 18-49.

· In viewers and young adults, The Bachelorette generated ABC's biggest summertime entertainment numbers in the time period in almost 6 years � since 8/27/06.

Towering over the 10 o'clock hour, ABC's The Bachelorette: After the Final Rose special outdelivered its combined CBS and NBC competition by 2.0 million viewers and by 88% with young adults. The Bachelorette: After the Final Rose finished as Sunday's #1 TV show with viewers and young adults.

· ABC's The Bachelorette: After the Final Rose grew year to year by double-digits in Adults 18-49 (+14%).

Quick Take for Sunday, July 22, 2012 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

ABC Dominates Sunday with Coverage of "The Bachelorette" Season Finale

Posting Summer Highs, "AFHV" Leads for the 2nd Straight Week in Adults 18-49

ABC's "The Bachelorette" Closer is Up Year to Year in Adults 18-49, Posting the Net's Biggest Summertime Entertainment Numbers in the Slot in Nearly 6 Years

ABC's "The Bachelorette: After the Final Rose" Towers Over the 10pm Hour, Surging Over Last Year's Telecast by Double-Digit Percentages in Adults 18-49

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

Featuring the 8th season finale of "The Bachelorette" and the "After the Final Rose" special, ABC (7.9 million and 2.6/8) overshadowed Sunday night, beating out its nearest competition (CBS = 5.2 million and 1.2/3) by 52% in Total Viewers and by 117% in Adults 18-49 (No. 1 in all 8 half hours of prime). It was ABC's 3rd straight Sunday to lead in the key young adult sales demo.

· ABC's "The Bachelorette" and "The Bachelorette: After the Final Rose" special stood as Sunday's Top 2 TV programs with viewers and young adults.

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

Hitting summer highs in viewers (5.3 million) and young adults (1.2/4), ABC's encore "America's Funniest Home Videos" won the 7:00 p.m. hour for the 2nd week in a row with Adults 18-49.

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

Jumping over its lead-in at 8:00 p.m. and gaining audience throughout its more than 2-hour broadcast, "The Bachelorette" season closer dominated its time period with season highs, soaring over its most-recent Monday telecast by 1.4 million viewers and by 36% in Adults 18-49. Head to head from 8:00-10:00 p.m., ABC's "The Bachelorette" nearly tripled Fox's "Teen Choice 2012" in Total Viewers (+187% - 8.6 million vs. 3.0 million) and Adults 18-49 (+172% - 3.0/9 vs. 1.1/3).

· "The Bachelorette" was up over its year-ago finale (2.8/8 on 8/1/11) by 7% in Adults 18-49.

· In viewers and young adults, "The Bachelorette" generated ABC's biggest summertime (Memorial Day-Labor Day) entertainment numbers in the time period in almost 6 years - since 8/27/06.

"The Bachelorette: After the Final Rose" (10:00-11:00 p.m.)

Towering over the 10 o'clock hour, ABC's "The Bachelorette: After the Final Rose" special outdelivered its combined CBS and NBC competition by 2.0 million viewers (9.1 million vs. 7.1 million) and by 88% with young adults (3.2/9 vs. 1.7/4). "The Bachelorette: After the Final Rose" finished as Sunday's No. 1 TV show with viewers and young adults.

· ABC's "The Bachelorette: After the Final Rose" grew year to year by double digits in Adults 18-49 (+14% - 2.8/8 on 8/1/11).

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), 07/22/12.