ABC Dominates Final Sunday of Season - Billboard Music Awards Hits a 12-Year High in Viewers and a 10-Year High in Adults 18-49

With the season finale of America's Funniest Home Videos and the 2013 Billboard Music Awards, ABC dominated the final Sunday of the season in Adults 18-49 (#1 in all 8 half-hours), beating Fox's night of season finales by 72%, CBS with two hours of 60 Minutes and a Country Music special by 138% and NBC with the 2-hour season ender of Celebrity Apprentice by 182%. The Billboard Music Awards stood as the night's highest-rated TV show with young adults. ABC was also the most-watched network overall on the evening, leading runner-up CBS by 1.1 million viewers. Excluding only the night of the Academy Awards, ABC marked its most-watched Sunday since November (since 11/18/12) and posted a season high with Adults 18-49.

Surging week to week in viewers (+11%) and young adults (+29%), ABC's season finale of America's Funniest Home Videos scored 14-week highs on both measures (since 2/10/13), while tying a season-high in Adults 18-49. The show was up over last season's finale by 19% in viewers and by 20% in young adults.

ABC's 3-hour broadcast of The 2013 Billboard Music Awards posted an across-the-board victory, winning its 8-11pm time period with Total Viewers, all key Adults (AD18-34/AD18-49/AD25-54), Teens 12-17 and Kids 2-11. Spiking year to year in Total Viewers (+28%) and Adults 18-49 (+33%), The Billboard Music Awards drew its biggest audience in 12 years and its highest Adult 18-49 rating in 10 years - since 2001 and 2003, respectively.

Quick Take for Sunday, May 19, 2013 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

ABC Dominates the Final Sunday of the Season with Total Viewers and Adults 18-49

ABC's Season Finale of "America's Funniest Home Videos" Earns 14-Week-Highs And Outdelivers Last Year's Closer by 19% in Viewers and 20% in Adults 18-49

Spiking Year to Year, "2013 Billboard Music Awards" Posts an Across-the-Board Win in its Slot, Hitting a 12-Year High in Viewers and 10-Year High in Adults 18-49

Sunday's Most Social Program, "Billboard Music Awards" Draws 4.4 Million Tweets

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

With the season finale of "America's Funniest Home Videos" and "The 2013 Billboard Music Awards," ABC (3.1/9) dominated the final Sunday of the season in Adults 18-49 (No. 1 in all 8 half-hours), beating Fox's night of season finales by 72% (1.8/5), CBS with two hours of "60 Minutes" and a Country Music special by 138% (1.3/4) and NBC with the 2-hour season ender of "Celebrity Apprentice" by 182% (1.1/3). "The Billboard Music Awards" stood as the night's highest-rated TV show with young adults. ABC was also the most-watched TV network overall on the evening, leading runner-up CBS by 1.1 million viewers (8.7 million vs. 7.8 million).

· Excluding only the night of the "Academy Awards," ABC marked its most-watched Sunday since November (since 11/18/12) and posted a season high with Adults 18-49.

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

Surging week to week in viewers (+11% - 7.0 million vs. 6.3 million) and young adults (+29% - 1.8/6 vs. 1.4/5), ABC's season finale of "America's Funniest Home Videos" scored 14-week highs on both measures (since 2/10/13), tying a season-best in Adults 18-49.

· "AFHV" grew over last season's finale (5.9 million and 1.5/5 on 5/20/12) by 19% in viewers and by 20% in young adults to its top season ender in 3 years - since 05/16/10.

"The 2013 Billboard Music Awards" (8:00-11:00 p.m.)

ABC's 3-hour broadcast of "The 2013 Billboard Music Awards" posted an across-the-board victory, winning its 8:00-11:00 p.m. time period with Total Viewers, all key Adults (AD18-34/AD18-49/AD25-54), Teens 12-17 and Kids 2-11.

· "The Billboard Music Awards" was Sunday's No. 1 most social program with 4,358,169 tweets, shooting up 182% year to year (vs. 1,545,775 tweets on 5/20/12).

· Spiking year to year in Total Viewers (+28% - 9.5 million vs. 7.4 million) and Adults 18-49 (+33% - 3.6/10 vs. 2.7/7), "The Billboard Music Awards" delivered its biggest audience in 12 years and its highest Adult 18-49 rating in 10 years - since 2001 and 2003, respectively.

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 48% currently, from 44% 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, 05/19/13. Socialguide 05/19/13 Total Tweets