ABC Dominates Non-Sports Thursday Competition - Up for the 4th Straight Week Year to Year

Thursday Night (10/16/14) - ABC Total Viewer and Adult 18-49 Projections

Grey's Anatomy: Live + 3 = 13.2 million/3.5 rating and Live + 7 = 14.2 million/3.8 rating

Scandal: Live + 3 = 14.3 million/4.2 rating and Live + 7 = 15.1 million/4.4 rating

How to Get Away with Murder: Live + 3 = 14.1 million/3.8 rating and Live + 7 = 14.8 million/4.1 rating

Live + Same Day Fast Affiliate Results:

ABC Thursday Prime (8-11pm - 9.3 million and 2.7/8 in AD18-49): Opposite CBS' Thursday Night Football, ABC continued to dominate its nearest non-sports Thursday competition in Total Viewers (+82% - 9.3 million vs. 5.1 million - Fox) and Adults 18-49 (+125% - 2.7/8 vs. 1.2/4 - Fox and NBC tied). For the 4th week in a row, ABC aired Thursday's Top 3 entertainment shows with Scandal (9.8 million and 2.9/9), How to Get Away with Murder (9.7 million and 2.7/9) and Grey's (8.4 million and 2.4/8). All three ABC dramas rank among the season's biggest gainers in TV Playback. The Net held steady with its week-ago Thursday delivery in the Fast Affiliate numbers (9.5 million and 2.8/9).

· ABC's Scandal is tracking as the week's top-rated broadcast drama in Adults 18-49.

· For the 4th consecutive week this season, ABC's Thursday was up from the same night last year (7.6 million and 2.4/7 on 10/17/13) in Total Viewers (+22%) and Adults 18-49 (+13%).

Grey's Anatomy (8-9pm - 8.4 million and 2.4/8 in AD18-49): At 8pm, Grey's Anatomy held steady week to week and continued to dominate its series competition in the hour, outpacing runner-up Fox's Bones 2.0 million viewers (8.4 million vs. 6.4 million) and by 50% in Adults 18-49 (2.4/8 vs. 1.6/5). Grey's continued to boost its new time period year to year (4.5 million and 1.2/4 for the Wonderland on 10/17/13).

Scandal (9-10pm - 9.8 million and 2.9/9 in AD18-49): Building on its lead-in at 9pm, ABC's Scandal more than doubled the deliveries of Fox's drama Gracepoint (3.8 million and 0.8/3) and NBC's comedies (Bad Judge/A to Z = 4.0 million and 1.1/3). Scandal was up week to week in Total Viewers (+3%) and also outdrew its year-ago telecast (+3%).

· Scandal built on the year-ago telecast of Grey's in the hour (8.8 million and 2.7/8).

How to Get Away with Murder (10-11pm - 9.7 million and 2.7/9 in AD18-49): During the 10 o'clock hour, ABC's How to Get Away with Murder maintained strong triple-digit advantages over NBC's Parenthood in Total Viewers (+137% - 9.7 million vs. 4.1 million) and Adults 18-49 (+108% - 2.7/9 vs. 1.3/4).

· How to Get Away with Murder once again outdrew the year-ago telecast of Scandal in the hour (10/17/13 = 9.5 million).

Quick Take for Thursday, October 16, 2014 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

ABC's Thursday Continues to Grow Year to Year with the Night's Top 3 Series

"Grey's" Dominates its Series Competition and Improves the 8pm Hour for ABC

"Scandal" Doubles its Competition and Tracks as the Week's No. 1 Broadcast Drama

"How to Get Away With Murder" Outdraws the Year-Ago Telecast of "Scandal" In the 10pm Hour and Beats NBC's Competing "Parenthood" by Triple Digits

Thursday Night (10/17/14) - ABC Total Viewer and Adult 18-49 Projections

"Grey's Anatomy:" Live + 3 = 13.2 million/3.5 rating and Live + 7 = 14.3 million/3.8 rating

"Scandal:" Live + 3 = 14.4 million/4.2 rating and Live + 7 = 15.1 million/4.4 rating

"HTGAWM:" Live + 3 = 14.1 million/3.9 rating and Live + 7 = 14.8 million/4.1 rating

Live + Same Day Fast Affiliate Results:

ABC Thursday Prime (8:00-11:00 p.m. - 9.3 million and 2.7/8 in AD18-49):

Opposite CBS' Thursday Night Football, ABC continued to dominate its nearest non-sports Thursday competition in Total Viewers (+82% - 9.3 million vs. 5.1 million - Fox) and Adults 18-49 (+125% - 2.7/8 vs. 1.2/4 - Fox and NBC tied). For the 4th week in a row, ABC aired Thursday's Top 3 entertainment shows with "Scandal" (9.8 million and 2.9/9), "How to Get Away with Murder" (9.7 million and 2.7/9) and "Grey's" (8.4 million and 2.4/8). All three ABC dramas rank among the season's biggest gainers in TV Playback. The Net held steady with its week-ago Thursday delivery in the Fast Affiliate numbers (9.5 million and 2.8/9).

· ABC's "Scandal" is tracking as the week's top-rated broadcast drama in Adults 18-49.

· For the 4th consecutive week this season, ABC's Thursday was up from the same night last year (7.6 million and 2.4/7 on 10/17/13) in Total Viewers (+22%) and Adults 18-49 (+13%).

"Grey's Anatomy" (8:00-9:00 p.m. - 8.4 million and 2.4/8 in AD18-49):

At 8:00 p.m., "Grey's Anatomy" held steady week to week and once again dominated its series competition in the hour, outpacing runner-up Fox's "Bones" by 2.0 million viewers (8.4 million vs. 6.4 million) and by 50% in Adults 18-49 (2.4/8 vs. 1.6/5). "Grey's" continued to boost its new time period year to year (4.5 million and 1.2/4 for "Wonderland" on 10/17/13).

"Scandal" (9:00-10:00 p.m. - 9.8 million and 2.9/9 in AD18-49):

Building on its lead-in at 9:00 p.m., ABC's "Scandal" more than doubled the deliveries of Fox's drama "Gracepoint" (3.8 million and 0.8/3) and NBC's comedies ("Bad Judge"/"A to Z" = 4.0 million and 1.1/3). "Scandal" was up week to week in Total Viewers (+3%) and also outdrew its year-ago telecast (+3%).

· "Scandal" built on the year-ago telecast of "Grey's" in the hour (8.8 million and 2.7/8).

"How to Get Away with Murder" (10:00-11:00 p.m. - 9.7 million and 2.7/9 in AD18-49):

During the 10 o'clock hour, ABC's "How to Get Away with Murder" maintained triple-digit advantages over NBC's "Parenthood" in Total Viewers (+137% - 9.7 million vs. 4.1 million) and Adults 18-49 (+108% - 2.7/9 vs. 1.3/4).

· "HTGAWM" once again outdrew the year-ago telecast of "Scandal" in the hour (10/17/13 = 9.5 million).

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.

Projections Rationale:

Lifts vs. L+SD are based on the 2013-14 season for premiere telecast or an average for originals (excluding the premiere).

Returning shows: Profile based on same show (either premiere or averages for originals).

New Series: Based on similar series.

Source: The Nielsen Company, Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day, 10/17/14.