ABC's Modern, Suburgatory and Nashville are Up

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

ABC earned second place on Wednesday in Adults 18-49 to Fox's 2-hour American Idol, leading CBS with the 90-minute Survivor: Caramoan premiere by 5% and NBC's first-run line up by 47%. Modern Family continued to run as Wednesday's #1 scripted TV show across all key Adult demos (AD18-34/AD18-49/AD25-54).

At 8pm against the opening half-hours of Idol and Survivor, ABC's The Middle defeated its NBC comedy competition (Whitney) by 4.0 million viewers and by 58% in Adults 18-49.

Like its lead-in at 8:30pm, ABC's The Neighbors dominated its comedy competition, outdelivering NBC's Guys with Kids by 103% in Total Viewers and by a best-yet 70% in Adults 18-49. Facing increased competition, The Neighbors held all of its Adult 18-49 number week to week.

More than doubling its Adult 18-49 lead-in at 9pm (+124%) and building week to week (+3%), ABC's Modern Family topped the final half-hour of the Survivor opener by 58%. Based on the most recent week of Nielsen playback data released on Monday, Modern Family picked up +2.5 Adult 18-49 rating points and +5.11 million viewers in the Live + 7 Day numbers - finishing out at 15.9 mil and a 6.7 rating - TV's largest increases for any series telecast of 2012-13. The hit ABC sitcom has been the top gainer in young adults on all 12 weeks of original telecasts this season.

In the 9:30pm half-hour, ABC's Suburgatory was up for the 2nd straight week in Adults 18-49 (+10%) was the #1 scripted show in its slot with a 29% advantage over the second half-hour of NBC's L&O: SVU.

At 10pm, ABC's Nashville won its hour in Adults 18-34 and led for its 5th consecutive original telecast in Women 18-34. Up over the prior week in Total Viewers (+8%) and Adults 18-49 (+6%), Nashville delivered its most-watched telecast since January 16, 2013. Jumping 68% over its L+SD rating in the most-recent week of L+7 data, ABC's freshman Nashville stood as the biggest percentage gainer during the week, building to a 3.2 AD18-49 rating in the final playback numbers.

Quick Take for Wednesday, February 13, 2013 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

"The Middle" Defeats CBS' "Survivor: Caramoan" Premiere in Adults 18-34

"The Neighbors" Beats NBC's "Guys with Kids" by a Best-Ever 70% in Adults 18-49

Up Week to Week, "Modern Family" Ranks as Wednesday's No. 1 Scripted TV Show

Gaining for the 2nd Straight Week, "Suburgatory" Grows by 10% in Adults 18-49

Up in Viewers and Young Adults, "Nashville" Draws its Biggest Audience in 4 Weeks

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

ABC earned second place on Wednesday in Adults 18-49 (2.2/6) to Fox's 2-hour "American Idol," leading CBS with the 90-minute "Survivor: Caramoan" premiere by 5% (2.1/6) and NBC's first-run lineup by 47% (1.5/4). "Modern Family" continued to run as Wednesday's No. 1 scripted TV show across all key Adult demos (AD18-34/AD18-49/AD25-54).

"The Middle" (8:00-8:30 p.m.)

At 8:00 p.m. against the opening half-hours of "Idol" and "Survivor," ABC's "The Middle" defeated its NBC comedy competition ("Whitney") by 4.0 million viewers (7.6 million vs. 3.6 million) and by 58% in Adults 18-49 (1.9/6 vs. 1.2/4). In addition, the ABC comedy beat the "Survivor" premiere in the half-hour by 18% in Adults 18-34.

"The Neighbors" (8:30-9:00 p.m.)

Like its lead-in at 8:30 p.m., ABC's "The Neighbors" dominated its comedy competition, outdelivering NBC's "Guys with Kids" by 103% in Total Viewers (5.9 million vs. 2.9 million) and by a best-ever 70% in Adults 18-49 (1.7/5 vs. 1.0/3). Opposite increased competition, "The Neighbors" held all of its Adult 18-49 number week to week.

"Modern Family" (9:00-9:30 p.m.)

More than doubling its Adult 18-49 lead-in at 9:00 p.m. (+124%) and building week to week (+3%), ABC's "Modern Family" topped the final half-hour of the "Survivor" opener by 58% (3.8/10 vs. 2.4/7).

· Based on the most recent week of Nielsen playback data released on Monday, "Modern Family" picked up +2.5 Adult 18-49 rating points and +5.11 million viewers in the Live + 7 Day numbers - finishing out at 15.9 million and a 6.7 rating - TV's largest increases for any series telecast of 2012-13. The hit ABC sitcom has been the top gainer in young adults on all 12 weeks of original telecasts this season.

"Suburgatory" (9:30 -10:00 p.m.)

In the 9:30 p.m. half-hour, ABC's "Suburgatory" was up for the 2nd straight week in Adults 18-49 (+10%), ranking as the No. 1 scripted TV show in its slot with a 29% advantage over the second half-hour of NBC's "L&O: SVU" (2.2/6 vs. 1.7/4).

"Nashville" (10:00-11:00 p.m.)

At 10:00 p.m., ABC's "Nashville" won its hour in Adults 18-34 and led for its 5th consecutive original telecast in Women 18-34. Up over the prior week in Total Viewers (+8% - 5.7 million vs. 5.3 million) and Adults 18-49 (+6% - 1.8/5 vs. 1.7/5), "Nashville" delivered its most-watched telecast since January 16, 2013.

· Jumping 68% over its L+SD rating in the most recent week of L+7 data, ABC's freshman "Nashville" stood as the biggest percentage gainer during the week, building to a 3.2 AD18-49 rating in the final playback numbers.

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 47% currently, from 43% at the same point in 2012. 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), 02/13/13.