The Muppets Opens Strong - Tuesday's #1 New Show and the Season's #2 Freshman in AD18-49

Live + Same Day Results:

The Muppets (8-8:30pm - 8.9 million and 2.8/10 in AD18-49): Self-starting at 8pm without a network lead-in, ABC's The Muppets opened as the season's #2 new show in Adults 18-49 (2.8/10) - behind only Monday's big Blindspot premiere out of The Voice - pacing well ahead of its Tuesday series debut competition, with a 75% advantage over Fox's 2-hour Scream Queens (1.6/5 from 8-10pm) and 56% over CBS' Limitless (1.8/6 from 10-11pm). In Adults 18-49, The Muppets was TV's highest-rated fall comedy debut in 1 year - since ABC's black-ish debuted as the #1 new comedy last fall on 9/24/14. In addition among viewers and young adults, The Muppets was ABC's biggest series debut since How to Get Away with Murder on 9/25/14.

· The Muppets topped ABC's year-ago comedy debut in the half-hour by 4.0 million viewers and 100% in Adults 18-49 (4.9 million and a 1.4/5 in AD18-49 for Selfie on 9/30/14). The new show scored ABC's top Adult 18-49 rating in the half-hour in nearly 2 years - since 10/15/13

Fresh Off the Boat (8:30-9pm - 6.1 million and 1.9/7 in AD18-49): At 8:30pm, ABC's second season premiere of Fresh Off the Boat matched its highest-ever Tuesday delivery in Adults 18-49 (1.9/7). Fresh Off the Boat was up from its Tuesday premiere in February (1.7/6 on 2/10/15) by 12% in Adults 18-49 and topped ABC's year-ago comedy debut in the half-hour by 46% (1.3/4 for Manhattan Love Story on 9/30/14).

... more to come

Quick Take for Tuesday, September 22, 2015 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

"The Muppets" Opens as Tuesday's No. 1 New Series in Adults 18-49, Delivering a 2-Year High for ABC in the Time Period

ABC's "Fresh Off the Boat" Equals a Tuesday High in Adults 18-49 and Builds on Its February Premiere on the Night by 12%

"DWTS" Generates 4-Month Highs for ABC in Its 2-Hour Time Slot

Tuesday Night (09/22/15) -- ABC Total Viewer and Adult 18-49 Projections

"The Muppets": L3 = 12.3 million/3.8 rating and L7 = 13.0 million/3.9 rating

"Fresh Off the Boat": L3 = 8.1 million/2.4 rating, L7 = 8.7 million/2.5 rating and MP+35 = 3.0 rating

"DWTS": L3 = 10.8 million/1.7 rating, L7 = 11.1 million/1.8 rating and MP+35 = 1.9 rating

Live + Same Day Results:

"The Muppets" (8:00-8:30 p.m. - 8.9 million and 2.8/10 in AD18-49):

Self-starting at 8:00 p.m. without a network lead-in, ABC's "The Muppets" opened as the season's No. 2 new show in Adults 18-49 (2.8/10) - behind only Monday's big "Blindspot" premiere out of "The Voice" - pacing well ahead of its Tuesday series debut competition, with a 75% advantage over Fox's 2-hour "Scream Queens" (1.6/5 from 8:00-10:00 p.m.) and 56% over CBS' "Limitless" (1.8/6 from 10:00-11:00 p.m.). It was the 2nd-highest-rated TV show of the night in Adults 18-49 while beating "The Voice" as Tuesday's No. 1 TV show in Men 18-34 (1.6/8) and Kids 2-11 (2.2/9).

· "The Muppets" topped ABC's year-ago comedy debut in the half-hour by 4.0 million viewers and 100% in Adults 18-49 (4.9 million and a 1.4/5 in AD18-49 for "Selfie" on 9/30/14). The new show scored ABC's best Adult 18-49 rating in the half-hour in nearly 2 years - since 10/15/13.

· In Adults 18-49, "The Muppets" was the highest-rated fall comedy debut in 1 year - since ABC's "black-ish" debuted as the No. 1 new comedy last fall out of "Modern Family" on 9/24/14. In addition among viewers and young adults, "The Muppets" was ABC's biggest series debut since "How to Get Away with Murder" on 9/25/14.

"Fresh Off the Boat" (8:30-9:00 p.m. - 6.1 million and 1.9/7 in AD18-49):

At 8:30 p.m., ABC's second-season premiere of "Fresh Off the Boat" matched its highest-ever Tuesday delivery in Adults 18-49 (1.9/7). "Fresh Off the Boat" was up from its Tuesday premiere in February by 12% in Adults 18-49 (1.7/6 on 2/10/15) and topped ABC's year-ago comedy debut in the half-hour by 46% (1.3/4 for "Manhattan Love Story" on 9/30/14).

"Dancing with the Stars" (9:00-11:00 p.m. - 9.5 million and 1.5/5 in AD18-49):

From 9:00-11:00 p.m., ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" took second in its 2-hour time slot among Total Viewers (9.5 million), topping NBC's Tuesday premiere of "The Voice"/"Best Time with Neil Patrick Harris" (9.4 million).

· In Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, "DWTS" delivered 4-month highs for ABC in the 2-hour time period with non-sports programming - since 5/19/15.

A note about DVR penetration: DVR penetration in the Nielsen sample is currently at 49% in U.S. TV Homes. More viewers are watching shows on their own timetables, which are increasingly not reflected in the overnight Live + Same Day numbers. As a result, the Live + 7 Day ratings are the most accurate measure to gauge the size of the TV audience

Projections Rationale:

Lifts vs. L+SD are based on the 2014-15 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 Ratings for 09/22/15.