ABC's The Middle Wins the 8pm Half-Hour Over Survivor - The Goldbergs Delivers its Top-Rated Season Yet

Wednesday (12/2/15) - ABC Total Viewer and Adult 18-49 Projections:

The Middle: L3 = 9.9 million/2.6 rating, L7 = 10.8 million/2.8 rating and MP+35 = 3.3 rating

The Goldbergs: L3 = 8.7 million/2.6 rating, L7 = 9.5 million/2.8 rating and MP+35 = 3.3 rating

Modern Family: L3 = 11.3 million/3.6 rating, L7 = 12.5 million/3.9 rating and MP+35 = 5.4 rating

black-ish: L3 = 8.2 million/2.4 rating, L7 = 8.8 million/2.6 rating and MP+35 = 3.4 rating

Nashville: L3 = 6.7 million/1.4 rating, L7 = 7.5 million/1.6 rating and MP+35 = 2.1 rating

Live + Same Day Results:

ABC Wednesday Prime (8-11pm - 5.9 million and 1.7/5 in AD18-49): ABC took second on Wednesday to Fox with the Fall finale of Empire in Adults 18-49 (1.7/5-tie), leading NBC by 13% (1.5/5). Trailing only Empire, the Net aired 4 of the Top 5 next-highest-rated shows on the night among young adults, with Modern Family (2.4/7), The Middle (2.1/7 - tied with Survivor), The Goldbergs (2.0/6) and black-ish (1.7/5).

The Middle (8-8:30pm - 7.8 million and 2.1/7 in AD18-49):

At 8pm, ABC's The Middle ranked #1 in its half-hour in Adults 18-49 (2.1/7), beating CBS' Survivor in the slot by 5% (2.0/7). Opposite increased competition from NBC with its Christmas in Rockefeller Center special, The Middle held even with its last original telecast two weeks ago among Adults 18-49 to match its 2nd-highest rating this season. In addition, the broad-appealing ABC comedy shot up 18% among Teens 12-17 to a best-since-premiere rating - since 9/23/15. Season to date (Most Current ratings through 10 weeks), The Middle is up in Total Viewers (+3%) and Adults 18-49 (+4%).

The Goldbergs (8:30-9pm - 6.5 million and 2.0/6 in AD18-49):

ABC's The Goldbergs finished second in its half-hour among Adults 18-49 (2.0/6), beating NBC's Christmas in Rockefeller Center by 25% (1.6/5) and Fox's Rosewood by 25% (1.6/5). Season to date, The Goldbergs is up over the comparable weeks last season in Adults 18-49 (+3%), tracking as its highest-rated season ever.

Modern Family (9-9:30pm - 7.4 million and 2.4/7 in AD18-49):

At 9pm, ABC's Modern Family (2.4/7) built on its lead-in by 20% in Adults 18-49 to take second to Empire for the night. The ABC comedy dominated NBC's Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas by 60% (1.5/4) and CBS' Criminal Minds by 50% (1.6/5) in the half-hour.

black-ish (9:30-10pm - 5.5 million and 1.7/5 in AD18-49):

Like its lead-in, ABC's black-ish ranked second in its slot in Adults 18-49 (1.7/5), leading by double-digits over NBC's SNL Christmas (+21% - 1.4/4) and CBS' Criminal Minds (+13% - 1.5/4).

Nashville (10-11pm - 4.2 million and 0.9/3 in AD18-49):

ABC's Nashville held steady with its most-recent telecast in Adults 18-49 (0.9/3 vs. 1.0/4). On its previous telecast (11/18/15), Nashville matched the prior week's L+3 playback as its biggest of the season in Adults 18-49, with an +80% jump over its L+SD rating after just 3 days of TV playback.

Quick Take for Wednesday, December 2, 2015 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

ABC Is No. 2 on Wednesday in Adults 18-49 and Beats CBS by 11% from 8-10 p.m.

ABC's "The Middle" Wins the 8 p.m. Half-Hour over CBS' "Survivor"

"The Goldbergs" Is Up Year to Year to Its Highest-Rated Season Yet

"Modern Family" Spikes Over Its Lead-in to Rank as Wednesday's No. 2 Show

"black-ish" Beats Its NBC and CBS Competition to Rank No. 2 at 9:30 p.m.

Wednesday (12/2/15) - ABC Total Viewer and Adult 18-49 Projections:

"The Middle": L3 = 9.9 million/2.6 rating, L7 = 10.8 million/2.8 rating and MP+35 = 3.3 rating

"The Goldbergs": L3 = 8.7 million/2.6 rating, L7 = 9.5 million/2.8 rating and MP+35 = 3.3 rating

"Modern Family": L3 = 11.3 million/3.6 rating, L7 = 12.5 million/3.9 rating and MP+35 = 5.4 rating

"black-ish": L3 = 8.2 million/2.4 rating, L7 = 8.8 million/2.6 rating and MP+35 = 3.4 rating

"Nashville": L3 = 6.7 million/1.4 rating, L7 = 7.5 million/1.6 rating and MP+35 = 2.1 rating

Live + Same Day Results:

ABC Wednesday Prime (8:00-11:00 p.m. - 5.9 million and 1.7/5 in AD18-49):

ABC took second on Wednesday to Fox with the Fall finale of "Empire" in Adults 18-49 (1.7/5-tie), leading NBC by 13% (1.5/5). From 8:00-10:00 p.m., ABC's 2-hour comedy block (2.0/6) beat CBS by 11% (1.8/6) and NBC by 33% (1.5/5). Trailing only "Empire," the Net aired 4 of the Top 5 next-highest-rated shows on the night among young adults, with "Modern Family" (2.4/7), "The Middle" (2.1/7 - tied with CBS' "Survivor"), "The Goldbergs" (2.0/6) and "black-ish" (1.7/5).

"The Middle" (8:00-8:30 p.m. - 7.8 million and 2.1/7 in AD18-49):

At 8:00 p.m., ABC's The Middle ranked No. 1 in its half-hour in Adults 18-49 (2.1/7), beating CBS' "Survivor" in the slot by 5% (2.0/7). Opposite increased competition from NBC with its "Christmas in Rockefeller Center" special, "The Middle" held even with its last original telecast two weeks ago among Adults 18-49 to match its 2nd-highest rating this season. In addition, the broad-appealing ABC comedy shot up 18% among Teens 12-17 to a best-since-premiere rating - since 9/23/15. Season to date (Most Current ratings through 10 weeks), "The Middle" is up in Total Viewers (+3%) and Adults 18-49 (+4%).

"The Goldbergs" (8:30-9:00 p.m. - 6.5 million and 2.0/6 in AD18-49):

ABC's "The Goldbergs" finished second in its half-hour among Adults 18-49 (2.0/6), beating NBC's "Christmas in Rockefeller Center" by 25% (1.6/5) and Fox's "Rosewood" by 25% (1.6/5). Season to date, "The Goldbergs" is up over the comparable weeks last season in Adults 18-49 (+3%), tracking as its highest-rated season ever.

"Modern Family" (9:00-9:30 p.m. - 7.4 million and 2.4/7 in AD18-49):

At 9:00 p.m., ABC's "Modern Family" (2.4/7) built on its lead-in by 20% in Adults 18-49 to take second to "Empire" for the night. The ABC comedy dominated NBC's "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas" by 60% (1.5/4) and CBS' "Criminal Minds" by 50% (1.6/5) in the half-hour.

"black-ish" (9:30-10:00 p.m. - 5.5 million and 1.7/5 in AD18-49):

Like its lead-in, ABC's "black-ish" ranked second in its slot in Adults 18-49 (1.7/5), leading by double-digits over NBC's "SNL Christmas" (+21% - 1.4/4) and CBS' "Criminal Minds" (+13% - 1.5/4).

"Nashville" (10:00-11:00 p.m. - 4.2 million and 0.9/3 in AD18-49):

ABC's "Nashville" held steady with its most recent telecast in Adults 18-49 (0.9/3 vs. 1.0/4). On its previous telecast (11/18/15), "Nashville" matched the prior week's L+3 playback as its biggest of the season in Adults 18-49, with an +80% jump over its L+SD rating after just 3 days of TV playback.

Projections Rationale:

Lifts vs. L+SD are based on 2015-16 season averages for originals (excluding the premiere).

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

New Series: Based on similar series.

A note about DVR penetration: DVR penetration in the Nielsen sample is currently at 48% 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 Nielsen measure to gauge the size of the TV audience.

Source: The Nielsen Company, Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings for 12/2/15.