ABC Is Monday's Top Net for 2nd Straight Week - DWTS Delivers Stronger Premiere Retention Year to Year

ABC Monday Prime (8-11pm - 12.8 million and 2.1/6 in AD18-49): ABC was Monday's most-watched network for the 2nd week in a row, outdrawing NBC with The Voice and Blacklist by 6% (12.8 million vs. 12.1 million). The Net earned second place in Adults 18-49 (2.1/6), leading CBS' all-original lineup by 5% (2.0/6) and Fox's original dramas by 50% (1.4/4).

Dancing with the Stars (8-10pm - 14.3 million and 2.2/6 in AD18-49): From 8-10pm opposite competition including the penultimate episode of How I Met Your Mother, ABC's Dancing with the Stars stood as Monday's most-watched TV show for the 2nd straight week, outdrawing NBC's The Voice in head-to-head competition by 13% (14.3 million vs. 12.6 million). Among Adults 18-49 in the time period, ABC's DWTS (2.2/6) beat Fox's original dramas by 57% (Bones/The Following = 1.4/4) and finished within 2-tenths of a rating point of CBS' 2-hour comedy block (2.4/7). DWTS showed stronger retention from Week 1 to Week 2 than it did last Spring in Total Viewers (93% vs. 85%) and Adults 18-49 (85% vs. 75%).

Castle (10-11pm - 9.8 million and 1.7/5 in AD18-49): ABC's Castle took second place during the 10 o'clock hour, outdelivering CBS' Intelligence by 4.8 million viewers (9.8 million vs. 5.0 million) and by 42% in Adults 18-49 (1.7/5 vs. 1.2/3). Castle paced within 1-tenth of an Adult 18-49 rating point week to week and was up 6% in Adults 18-34.

Quick Take for Monday, March 24, 2014 (Fast Affiliate Live +Same Day Ratings)

ABC is Monday's Most-Watched Net for the 2nd Week in a Row

ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" is Monday's Most-Watched TV Show, Delivers Stronger Retention from its Premiere Year to Year

At 10pm, ABC's "Castle" Leads CBS' "Intelligence" By 4.8 million Total Viewers and by 42% in Adults 18-49

Monday Night (8:00-11:00 p.m. - 12.8 million and 2.1/6 in AD18-49):

ABC was Monday's most-watched network for the 2nd week in a row, outdrawing NBC with "The Voice" and "Blacklist" by 6% (12.8 million vs. 12.1 million). The Net earned second place in Adults 18-49 (2.1/6), leading CBS' all-original lineup by 5% (2.0/6) and Fox's original dramas by 50% (1.4/4).

"Dancing with the Stars" (8:00-10:00 p.m. - 14.3 million and 2.2/6 in AD18-49):

From 8:00-10:00 p.m. opposite competition including the penultimate episode of CBS' "How I Met Your Mother," ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" stood as Monday's most-watched TV show for the 2nd straight week, outdrawing NBC's "The Voice" in head-to-head competition by 13% (14.3 million vs. 12.6 million). Among Adults 18-49 in the time period, ABC's "DWTS" (2.2/6) beat Fox's original dramas by 57% ("Bones"/"The Following" = 1.4/4) and finished within 2-tenths of a rating point of CBS' 2-hour comedy block (2.4/7). "DWTS" delivered stronger retention from Week 1 to Week 2 than it did last Spring in Total Viewers (93% vs. 85%) and Adults 18-49 (85% vs. 75%).

· Along with winning its 2-hour time-slot in Total Viewers, "Dancing with the Stars" ranked No. 2 in Adults 25-54, all key Women (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54), Teens 12-17 and Kids 2-11.

"Castle" (10:00-11:00 p.m. - 9.8 million and 1.7/5 in AD18-49):

ABC's "Castle" took second place during the 10 o'clock hour, outdelivering CBS' Intelligence by 4.8 million viewers (9.8 million vs. 5.0 million) and by 42% in Adults 18-49 (1.7/5 vs. 1.2/3). "Castle" paced within 1-tenth of an Adult 18-49 rating point week to week and was up 6% in Adults 18-34 (1.2/4 vs. 1.1/4) to a 4-week high - since 2/24/14.

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 2013. 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, 3/24/14.