ABC's "Dancing" Scores Best-Yet Premiere Retention Against a Voice Opener - "Forever" Gets Solid Sampling

Monday (9/22/14) - ABC Total Viewer and Adult 18-49 Ratings/Projections

Dancing with the Stars (8-10pm):

Live + Same Day = 12.0 million and 2.0/6, projected Live + 3 Day = 13.7 million and 2.2 rating and projected Live + 7 Day = 14.1 million and 2.3 rating

· Please Note: The week-ago season opener of Dancing (on 9/15/14) marked its biggest-ever L3 lift for any premiere telecast of the series, surging 21% in Adults 18-49 over its L+SD number (from a 2.4 rating to a 2.9 rating) - up from a 13% increase for the year-ago premiere lift.

Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Highlights:

Dancing With the Stars (8-10pm - 12.0 million and 2.0/6 in AD18-49): Building from its first hour to its second hour against season/series premiere competition on each of the other nets, ABC's Dancing delivered its best-yet Week 1 to Week 2 retention when facing NBC's The Voice premiere in Total Viewers (88%) and Adults 18-49 (83%). Last year's retention was 85% and 74%, respectively. During the 9pm hour, Dancing beat out Fox's season premiere of Sleepy Hollow by 10% in Adults 18-49 (2.2/6 vs. 2.0/5).

· Dancing with the Stars substantially narrowed its margins year to year with the season premiere of NBC's The Voice in both Total Viewers (45% smaller - 766,000 vs. 1.4 million) and Adults 18-49 (32% smaller - 1.9 rating points vs. 2.8 rating points).

Forever SP (10-11pm - 8.3 million and 1.5/4 in AD18-49): Opposite premiere/finale drama competition on NBC (Blacklist) and CBS (Under the Dome), ABC's Forever received strong sampling with an average audience of 8.3 million viewers and a 1.5/4 in Adults 18-49. In the hour, Forever outdrew the CBS' Under the Dome finale by 9% in Total Viewers (8.3 million vs. 7.6 million). Please Note: Forever moves to its regular Tuesday 10 o'clock time period tonight (9/23/14).

Quick Take for Monday, September 22, 2014 (Fast Affiliate Live +Same Day Ratings)

ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" Posts Best-Yet Week 1 to Week 2 Retention Versus A Premiere of NBC's "The Voice" in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49

"Dancing with the Stars" Leads Fox's "Sleepy Hollow" Season Premiere At 9pm among Young Adults

ABC's "Forever" Outdraws CBS' "Under the Dome" Season Finale in Total Viewers

Monday (9/22/14) - ABC Total Viewer and Adult 18-49 Ratings/Projections

"Dancing with the Stars" (8:00-10:00 p.m.):

Live + Same Day = 12.0 million and 2.0/6, projected Live + 3 Day = 13.7 million and 2.2 rating and projected Live + 7 Day = 14.1 million and 2.3 rating

· Please Note: The week-ago season opener of "Dancing" (on 9/15/14) marked its biggest-ever L3 lift for any premiere telecast of the series, surging 21% in Adults 18-49 over its L+SD number (from a 2.4 rating to a 2.9 rating) - up from a 13% increase for the year-ago premiere lift.

"Forever SP" (10:00-11:00 p.m.):

Live + Same Day = 8.3 million and 1.5/4, projected Live + 3 Day = 12.1 million and 2.2 rating and projected Live + 7 Day = 13.3 million and 2.4 rating

"Dancing with the Stars" (8:00-10:00 p.m. - 12.0 million and 2.0/6 in AD18-49):

Building from its first hour to its second hour against season/series premiere competition on each of the other nets, ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" delivered its best-yet Week 1 to Week 2 retention when facing a premiere of NBC's "The Voice" in Total Viewers (88%) and Adults 18-49 (83%). Last year's retention was 85% and 74%, respectively. During the 9:00 p.m. hour, "Dancing" beat out Fox's season premiere of "Sleepy Hollow" by 10% in Adults 18-49 (2.2/6 vs. 2.0/5).

· "Dancing with the Stars" substantially narrowed its margins year to year with the season premiere of NBC's "The Voice" in both Total Viewers (45% smaller - 766,000 vs. 1.4 million) and Adults 18-49 (32% smaller - 1.9 rating points vs. 2.8 rating points).

"Forever SP" (10:00-11:00 p.m. - 8.3 million and 1.5/4 in AD18-49):

Opposite premiere/finale drama competition on NBC ("Blacklist") and CBS ("Under the Dome"), ABC's "Forever" received strong sampling with an average audience of 8.3 million viewers and a 1.5/4 in Adults 18-49. From 10:00-11:00 p.m., "Forever" outdrew the CBS' "Under the Dome" finale by 9% in Total Viewers (8.3 million vs. 7.6 million). Please Note: "Forever" moves to its regular Tuesday 10 o'clock time period tonight (9/23/14).

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 48% 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, 9/22/14.