ABC Wins Friday as Its Comedy Season Finales Surge

ABC won Friday in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49 (2nd week in a row). The Net's season finales of Last Man Standing and Malibu Country stood as Friday's Top 2 most-watched TV shows overall, while Last Man Standing and 20/20 tied as the night's #1 show in Adults 18-49. In fact season to date, ABC is Friday's #1 network in Adults 18-49, gaining 13% year to year with its strongest delivery on the night in 4 years - since the 2008-09 season.

Friday's #1 TV show, ABC's season closer of Last Man Standing built week to week by 22% in viewers and by 14% in Adults 18-49. Earning best-since premiere numbers, Last Man Standing drew its biggest audience and matched its highest Adult 18-49 rating since its season opener on November 2, 2012. Last Man Standing also topped its year-ago Tuesday finale by 18% in Total Viewers (on 5/8/12) and was within 1-tenth of a rating point in Adults 18-49.

TV's most-watched new comedy this season, ABC's season finale of Malibu Country ranked #1 in the 8:30pm half hour, surging week to week by 25% in Total Viewers and by 27% in Adults 18-49. Malibu Country closed out with its most-watched telecast since November 9, 2012 (series' 3rd largest audience ever) and equaled its top Adult 18-49 rating since December 14, 2012.

In the 9pm hour among Adults 18-49, ABC's repeat Shark Tank tied NBC's original Grimm and doubled the number for Fox's first-run Touch (+100%). In addition for the 2nd week in a row, ABC's encore Shark Tank finished as the most-watched TV program in the 9 o'clock hour, pacing well ahead of its original competition. Shark Tank delivered its 2nd-most-watched repeat telecast ever.

Spiking week to week, ABC's 20/20 won the 10 o'clock hour in Total Viewers, Adults 18-49 and Adults 25-54. The ABC newsmagazine defeated Rock Center with Brian Williams by 2.4 million viewers, by 78% in Adults 18-49 and by 83% and Adults 25-54, winning every head-to-head matchup in the time period in the two key adult demos. 20/20 reported on the Steubenville, Ohio court case. Building week to week in Total Viewers (+15%), Adults 18-49 (+14%) and Adults 25-54 (+10%), 20/20 delivered its best numbers since December 14, 2012.