ABC Wins Wednesday with "Barbara Walters Presents: 10 Most Fascinating People" Hitting a 3-Year High in Viewers

ABC Wednesday Prime (8-11pm - 7.2 million and 1.8/6 in AD18-49): With encore comedies and Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2013, ABC won Wednesday night, beating its nearest competition by 20% in Total Viewers (7.2 million vs. 6.0 million - CBS) and by 20% in Adults 18-49 (1.8/6 vs. 1.5/5 - NBC). The Barbara Walters special finished as Wednesday's #1 TV show in Total Viewers (8.8 million), Adults 18-49 (2.1/7) and Adults 25-54 (2.7/7). In addition, ABC's repeat Modern Family (1.8/5) was the #2 TV show of the night in Adults 18-49, outdelivering the Wednesday finale of Fox's The X-Factor (1.3/4), as well as NBC's The Sing Off (1.6/5).

Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2013 (9:30-11pm - 8.8 million and 2.1/7 in AD18-49): Building on its lead-in at 9:30pm, ABC's Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2013 dominated its 90-minute time period with Total Viewers and all key Adult demos (AD18-34/AD18-49/AD25-54), over the final half-hour of NBC's The Sing Off at 9:30pm and the Michael Buble Christmas special from 10-11pm. On the ABC News special, highlighting some of the year's most prominent names in entertainment, sports, politics and popular culture, Hillary Clinton was named the most fascinating person of 2013.

· Despite airing out of a repeat Modern Family this year, the Barbara Walters special was up year to year in Total Viewers (+16% - 8.8 million vs. 7.6 million), Adults 18-34 (+14% - 1.6/6 vs. 1.4/4), Women 18-34 (+29% - 2.2/7 vs. 1.7/5) and Adults 25-54 (+4% - 2.7/7 vs. 2.6/6), while holding steady in Adults 18-49. The program drew its biggest overall audience in 3 years - since 2010.

Quick Take for Wednesday, December 18, 2013 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

ABC Dominates Wednesday with "Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2013" Finishing as the Night's No. 1 TV Show

ABC's Repeat "Modern Family" Beats Fox's Wednesday Finale of "The X-Factor" and NBC's "The Sing Off" to Rank as the Night's No. 2 TV Show in Adults 18-49

Up 16% Year to Year, ABC's Barbara Walters Special Hits a 3-Year High in Viewers

ABC Wednesday Prime (8:00-11:00 p.m. - 7.2 million and 1.8/6 in AD18-49):

With encore comedies and "Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2013," ABC won Wednesday night by double-digits over its nearest competition in Total Viewers (+20% - 7.2 million vs. 6.0 million - CBS) and Adults 18-49 (+20% - 1.8/6 vs. 1.5/5 - NBC).

· The Barbara Walters special finished as Wednesday's No. 1 TV show in Total Viewers (8.8 million), Adults 18-49 (2.1/7) and Adults 25-54 (2.7/7). In addition, ABC's repeat "Modern Family" was the No. 2 TV show of the night in Adults 18-49 (1.8/5), outdelivering the Wednesday finale of Fox's "The X-Factor" (1.3/4), as well as NBC's "The Sing Off" (1.6/5).

"Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2013" (9:30-11:00 p.m.):

Building on its lead-in at 9:30 p.m., ABC's "Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2013" dominated its 90-minute time period with Total Viewers and all key Adult demos (AD18-34/AD18-49/AD25-54), over the final half-hour of NBC's "The Sing Off" at 9:30 p.m. and a Michael Buble Christmas special from 10:00-11:00 p.m. On the ABC News special, highlighting some of the year's most prominent names in entertainment, sports, politics and popular culture, Hillary Clinton was named the most fascinating person of 2013.

· Despite airing out of a repeat "Modern Family" this year, the Barbara Walters special was up year to year in Total Viewers (+16% - 8.8 million vs. 7.6 million), Adults 18-34 (+14% - 1.6/6 vs. 1.4/4), Women 18-34 (+29% - 2.2/7 vs. 1.7/5) and Adults 25-54 (+4% - 2.7/7 vs. 2.6/6), while holding steady in Adults 18-49. The program drew its biggest overall audience in 3 years - since 2010.

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 49% currently, from 47% 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), 12/18/13.