ABC's Sunday Fall Finales Finish Out Strong

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

Opposite another big Sunday Night Football game (Philadelphia Eagles-Dallas Cowboys) and a huge NFL primetime overrun on CBS, ABC grew its Sunday numbers week to week and beat out Fox on the night 3.1 million viewers and by 24% in Adults 18-49.

Gaining 12% in viewers week to week during the 7 o'clock hour against the NFL overrun, ABC's America's Funniest Home Videos posted its most-watched broadcast of the season to pull in its biggest audience in nearly 9 months - since 3/14/12.

· AFHV built sharply year to year, besting its year-ago telecast by 23% in Total Viewers and by 14% in Adults 18-49.

At 8pm, the fall finale of ABC's Once Upon a Time surged over its Adult 18-49 lead-in (+94%) to rank #1 against its non-sports competition and stand as Sunday's highest-rated scripted broadcast series. In addition, the ABC drama stood as the #1 TV program in its time period for the 2nd week in a row with key Women (W18-34/W18-49). ABC's Once Upon a Time scores substantial gains via time-shifted playback, spiking over its preliminary numbers by 3.1 million viewers and by 1.4 Adult 18-49 rating points (+42%) in the final L+7 Day ratings.

· Increasing over the prior week, Once Upon a Time attracted its biggest audience since the beginning of November - since 11/4/12. In addition, the ABC drama was up week to week in Men 18-34 (+6%), Men 18-49 (+15%) and Kids 2-11 (+30%), while holding 100% of its National Adult 18-49 rating and up 3% over its week-ago Fast Affiliate young adult rating.

Up week to week in the 9 o'clock hour among Adults 18-49 (+9%), ABC's fall finale of Revenge beat out its NFL-fueled competition on CBS (Amazing Race/The Good Wife) by 9% and topped Fox's animated comedies (Family Guy/American Dad) by 20%. In fact, the ABC sophomore outdelivered CBS' competing drama The Good Wife for the 9th straight telecast this season. Like its lead-in, Revenge surges in TV playback this season, jumping by 3.0 million viewers and by 1.3 Adult 18-49 rating points (+48%) from its first-reported numbers to its L+7 ratings.

· Revenge built over the previous week in Total Viewers (+10%), Adults 18-49 (+9%) and Adults 18-34 (+6%), earning its best number in a month on the latter measure - since 11/4/12.

· Season to date, Revenge is up from the same point in its freshman frame in both Total Viewers (+2%) and Adults 18-49 (+3%).

Quick Take for Sunday, December 2, 2012 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

ABC's Sunday Rises and Tops Fox by Wide Margins in Viewers and Young Adults

"America's Funniest Home Videos" Draws its Largest Audience in Nearly 9 Months

Attracting its Biggest Overall Audience in 1 Month, ABC's "Once Upon a Time" Fall Finale Finishes as Sunday's Top Scripted Broadcast Show in Adults 18-49

Building Week to Week and Up Over its Freshman Season, ABC's Fall Finale Of "Revenge" Defeats its CBS NFL-Fueled Competition at 9pm in Adults 18-49

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

Opposite another big Sunday Night Football game (Philadelphia Eagles-Dallas Cowboys) and a huge NFL primetime overrun on CBS, ABC grew its Sunday numbers week to week and beat out Fox on the night 3.1 million viewers (7.0 million vs. 3.9 million) and by 24% in Adults 18-49 (2.1/5 vs. 1.7/4).

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

Gaining 12% in viewers week to week during the 7 o'clock hour against the NFL overrun, ABC's "America's Funniest Home Videos" posted its most-watched broadcast (7.4 million) of the season to pull in its biggest audience in nearly 9 months - since 3/14/12.

· "AFHV" built sharply year to year, besting its year-ago telecast by 23% in Total Viewers (7.4 million vs. 6.0 million) and by 14% in Adults 18-49 (1.6/4 vs. 1.4/4).

"Once Upon a Time" (8:00-9:00 p.m.)

At 8:00 p.m., the fall finale of ABC's "Once Upon a Time" (3.1/7) surged over its Adult 18-49 lead-in (+94%) to rank No. 1 against its non-sports competition and stand as Sunday's highest-rated scripted broadcast series. In addition, the ABC drama stood as the No. 1 TV program in its time period for the 2nd week in a row with key Women (W18-34/W18-49). ABC's "Once Upon a Time" scores substantial gains via time-shifted playback, spiking over its preliminary numbers by 3.1 million viewers and by 1.4 Adult 18-49 rating points (+42%) in the final L+7 Day ratings.

· Increasing over the prior week, "Once Upon a Time" attracted its biggest audience since the beginning of November (9.1 million) - since 11/4/12. In addition, the ABC drama was up week to week in Men 18-34 (+6%), Men 18-49 (+15%) and Kids 2-11 (+30%), while holding 100% of its National Adult 18-49 rating, and up 3% over its week-ago Fast Affiliate young adult rating.

"Revenge" (9:00-10:00 p.m.)

Up week to week in the 9 o'clock hour among Adults 18-49 (+9%), ABC's fall finale of "Revenge" (2.4/5) beat out its NFL-fueled competition on CBS by 9% (2.2/5 - "Amazing Race"/"The Good Wife") and topped Fox's animated comedies by 20% (2.0/4 - "Family Guy"/"American Dad"). In fact, the ABC sophomore drama outdelivered CBS' competing drama "The Good Wife" for the 9th straight telecast this season. Like its lead-in, "Revenge" surges in TV playback this season, jumping by 3.0 million viewers and by 1.3 Adult 18-49 rating points (+48%) from its first-reported numbers to its L+7 ratings.

· "Revenge" built over the previous week in Total Viewers (+10%), Adults 18-49 (+9%) and Adults 18-34 (+6%), earning its best number in a month on the latter measure - since 11/4/12.

· Season to date, the ABC sophomore series is up from the same point in its freshman frame in both Total Viewers (+2%) and Adults 18-49 (+3%).

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 46% currently, from 43% 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, 12/02/12.