"Modern Family" Is Wednesday's #1 Series/"Super Fun Night" Grows Against the Fall Classic

Up against Fox's World Series Game 1, ABC delivered the #1 entertainment program on Wednesday in Adults 18-49, with Modern Family (3.8/10) holding the top series position on the night for the 5th straight week this season. Despite competing against the game, ABC's Super Fun Night was up 5% week to week in Adults 18-49 (2.2/6 vs. 2.1/6).

ABC's Wednesday Night Ratings

ABC Wednesday Prime (8-11pm - 7.0 million and 2.2/6 in AD18-49): Up against Fox's World Series Game 1, ABC delivered the #1 entertainment program on Wednesday in Adults 18-49, with Modern Family (3.8/10) holding the top series position on the night for the 5th straight week this season. With DVR playback included, the ABC comedy will move well ahead of the World Series as the night's #1 TV show overall.

The Middle (8-8:30pm - 8.2 million and 2.1/7 in AD18-49): At 8pm, ABC's The Middle returned after the prior week's pre-emption with 100% retention of its overall audience from two weeks ago and pacing within 1-tenth of rating point in Adults 18-49, while hitting a season-high with Kids 2-11. The Middle's 100th episode was the #1 entertainment program in its half-hour ahead of Survivor with Adults 18-34, Women 18-34 and Teens 12-17.

Back in the Game (8:30-9pm - 6.2 million and 1.7/5 in AD18-49): In the 8:30pm half-hour, ABC's Back in the Game continued to outdeliver NBC's Revolution by wide margins, beating the sophomore drama by 1.2 million viewers (6.2 million vs. 5.0 million) and by 31% in Adults 18-49 (1.7/5 vs. 1.3/4).

Modern Family (9-9:30pm - 10.3 million and 3.8/10 in AD18-49): More than doubling its Adult 18-49 lead-in (+124%) at 9pm, ABC's Modern Family (3.8/10) dominated its entertainment competition in the half-hour, beating CBS' Criminal Minds by 41% (2.7/7) and NBC's L&O: SVU by 171% (1.4/4). The ABC comedy dominated the half-hour to stand as the night's #1 TV show overall across all key Women demos (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54).

Super Fun Night (9:30-10pm - 6.0 million and 2.2/6 in AD18-49): In the 9:30 p.m. half-hour, ABC's Super Fun Night was up week to week in Adults 18-49 (+5%) and Adults 18-34 (+6%). The freshman ABC comedy was the #1 series in the half-hour with Adults 18-34 and Women 18-34.

Nashville (10-11pm - 5.8 million and 1.7/5 in AD18-49): At 10pm, ABC's Nashville held steady week to week in Adults 18-49 and grew 8% in Adults 18-34. In addition for the 5th week in a row, Nashville beat out CSI in the hour with Women 18-34. On average, Nashville gets a much bigger lift than CSI in the Live +7 Day ratings (60% vs. 48%) and is leads the CBS drama in the final playback data for the season at a 3.2 rating (vs. a 3.1 rating).

Quick Take for Wednesday, October 23, 2013 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

ABC's "Modern Family" is Wednesday's No. 1 Series for the 5th Straight Week

ABC's 100th Episode of "The Middle" Beats CBS' "Survivor" in Adults 18-34

"Back in the Game" Outdelivers NBC's "Revolution" by 31% in Adults 18-49

ABC's "Super Fun Night" Grows Week to Week with Adults 18-49 and Adults 18-34

ABC's "Nashville" is Up Over the Prior Week by 8% Among Adults 18-34

ABC Wednesday Prime (8:00-11:00 p.m. - 7.0 million and 2.2/6 in AD18-49):

Up against Fox's World Series Game 1, ABC delivered the No. 1 entertainment program on Wednesday in Adults 18-49, with "Modern Family" (3.8/10) holding the top series position on the night for the 5th straight week this season. With TV playback included, the ABC comedy will move well ahead of the World Series as the night's No. 1 TV program.

"The Middle" (8:00-8:30 p.m. - 8.2 million and 2.1/7 in AD18-49):

At 8:00 p.m., ABC's "The Middle" returned after the prior week's pre-emption with 100% retention of its overall audience from two weeks ago and pacing within 1-tenth of a rating point in Adults 18-49, while hitting a season-high with Kids 2-11. "The Middle's" 100th episode was the No. 1 entertainment program in its half-hour ahead of CBS' "Survivor" with Adults 18-34, Women 18-34 and Teens 12-17.

"Back in the Game" (8:30-9:00 p.m. - 6.2 million and 1.7/5 in AD18-49):

In the 8:30 p.m. half-hour, ABC's "Back in the Game" continued to outdeliver NBC's "Revolution" by wide margins, beating the sophomore drama by 1.2 million viewers (6.2 million vs. 5.0 million) and by 31% in Adults 18-49 (1.7/5 vs. 1.3/4).

"Modern Family" (9:00-9:30 p.m. - 10.3 million and 3.8/10 in AD18-49):

More than doubling its Adult 18-49 lead-in (+124%) at 9:00 p.m., ABC's "Modern Family" (3.8/10) dominated its entertainment competition in the half-hour, beating CBS' "Criminal Minds" by 41% (2.7/7) and NBC's "L&O: SVU" by 171% (1.4/4). The ABC comedy dominated the half-hour to stand as the night's No. 1 TV show across all key Women demos (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54).

"Super Fun Night" (9:30-10:00 p.m. - 6.0 million and 2.2/6 in AD18-49):

In the 9:30 p.m. half-hour, ABC's "Super Fun Night" was up week to week in Adults 18-49 (+5%) and Adults 18-34 (+6%) with its best-since-premiere retention. The freshman ABC comedy was the No. 1 series in the half-hour with Adults 18-34 and Women 18-34.

"Nashville" (10:00-11:00 p.m. - 5.8 million and 1.7/5 in AD18-49):

At 10:00 p.m., ABC's "Nashville" held steady week to week in Adults 18-49 and grew 8% in Adults 18-34. In addition for the 5th week in a row, "Nashville" beat out CBS' "CSI" in the hour with Women 18-34. On average, "Nashville" gets a much bigger lift than "CSI" in the Live +7 Day ratings (+60% vs. +48%) and leads the CBS drama in the final playback data for the season at a 3.2 rating (vs. a 3.1 rating).

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 46% 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), 10/2313.