ABC is Poised to Win 3rd Straight Thursday in Live + 3 Day Adults 18-49

ABC Thursday Prime (8-11pm - 6.0 million and 1.8/6 in AD18-49): ABC ran in a close race on Thursday in Live + Same Day Adults 18-49 with Fox and CBS and is projected to lead the night for the 3rd-straight week, once L+3 and L+7 TV playback is included in the averages [see below]. ABC's Live + Same Day Adult 18-49 delivery was exactly even with the prior Thursday (1.8/6). Please Note: Scandal (even with last week's Fast Affiliate rating) and Murder (up 1-tenth from last week's Fast Affiliate rating) each adjusted up 1-tenth last week in the National ratings.

Live + 3 Day data for Thursday, 2/18/16: Spiking 67% over its Live + Same Day rating (1.8 to 3.0), ABC won Thursday for the 2nd week in a row in L+3 Adults 18-49, after finishing 2-tenths behind Fox and 1-tenth behind CBS in the Live + Same Day numbers. During prime in L+3 Adults 18-49, ABC (3.0 rating) beat CBS by 11% (2.7), Fox by 25% (2.4) and NBC by 76% (1.7). In L+3, ABC delivered 3 of the Top 4 TV programs last Thursday in Adults 18-49, with Grey's Anatomy (3.3 rating - +50% over L+SD), Scandal (2.8 rating - +56% over L+SD) and How to Get Away with Murder (2.7 rating - +80% over L+SD), trailing only CBS' top-rated The Big Bang Theory on the night. Initially in Live + Same Day, CBS' Big Bang-led Life in Pieces and Fox's American Idol finished as the #3 and #4 shows of the night, but dropped to #5 and #7 in L+3, respectively.

Live + Same Day:

· ABC's Grey's (2.1/7), Scandal (1.7/5) and How to Get Away with Murder (1.5/5) finished as Thursday's Top 3 dramas for the 3rd week running in Adults 18-49, outdelivering the other 4 dramas on the night, including NBC's You Me and the Apocalypse (0.6/2), The Blacklist (1.3/4) and Shades of Blue (1.0/4), as well as CBS' Elementary (1.1/4).

· Dominating the 10 o'clock hour for the 3rd week in a row in Adults 18-49, ABC's How to Get Away with Murder (1.5/5) defeated NBC's Shades of Blue by 50% (1.0/4) and CBS' Elementary by 36% (1.1/4).

Quick Take for Thursday, February 25, 2016 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

ABC Poised to Lead Its 3rd-Straight Thursday in Live + 3 Day Adults 18-49

ABC Airs Thursday's Top 3 Dramas with "Grey's," "Scandal" and "Murder"

Thursday (2/25/16) - ABC Viewer and Adult 18-49 Projection With Multiplatform + 35 Days

"Grey's": L3 = 11.2 million/3.0 rating, L7 = 12.1 million/3.2 rating and MP+35 = 4.4 rating

"Scandal": L3 = 9.1 million/2.7 rating, L7 = 9.8 million/2.8 rating and MP+35 = 3.9 rating

"HTGAWM": L3 = 8.1 million/2.5 rating, L7 = 8.8 million/2.7 rating and MP+35 = 3.8 rating

Live + Same Day Results:

ABC Thursday Primetime (8:00-11:00 p.m. - 6.0 million and 1.8/6 in AD18-49):

ABC ran in a close race on Thursday in Live + Same Day Adults 18-49 with Fox and CBS and is projected to lead the night for the 3rd-straight week, once L+3 and L+7 TV playback is included in the averages. ABC's Live + Same Day Adult 18-49 delivery was exactly even with the prior Thursday (1.8/6). Last week, ABC's Thursday primetime Adult 18-49 delivery shot up 67% from L+SD to L+3 (1.8 to a 3.0), and the net won the night by 11% over its nearest competition (CBS' 2.7).

Please Note: "Scandal" (even with last week's Fast Affiliate rating) and "How to Get Away with Murder" (up 1-tenth from last week's Fast Affiliate rating) each adjusted up 1-tenth last week in the L+SD National ratings.

Live + Same Day Results:

· ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" (2.1/7), "Scandal" (1.7/5) and "How to Get Away with Murder" (1.5/5) finished as Thursday's Top 3 dramas for the 3rd week running in Adults 18-49, outdelivering the other 4 dramas on the night, including NBC's "You, Me and the Apocalypse" (0.6/2), "The Blacklist" (1.3/4) and "Shades of Blue" (1.0/4), as well as CBS' "Elementary" (1.1/4).

"Grey's Anatomy" (8:00-9:00 p.m. - 7.2 million and 2.1/7 in AD18-49):

At 8:00 p.m. opposite CBS' "The Big Bang Theory" (200th episode) and "Life in Pieces," ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" (2.1/7) beat out the first hour of Fox's 2-hour "American Idol" in Adults 18-49 (2.0/7) and overshadowed NBC's "You, Me and the Apocalypse" by 250% (0.6/2).

"Scandal" (9:00-10:00 p.m. - 5.9 million and 1.7/5 in AD18-49):

At 9:00 p.m., ABC's "Scandal" dominated its drama competition in Adults 18-49 (1.8/6), leading NBC's "The Blacklist" by 31% (1.3/4).

"How to Get Away with Murder" (10:00-11:00 p.m. - 4.9 million and 1.5/5 in AD18-49):

In the 10 o'clock hour, ABC's "How to Get Away with Murder" (1.5/5) dominated its NBC and CBS drama competition for the 3rd-consecutive week, leading "Shades of Blue" by 50% (1.0/4) and "Elementary" by 36% (1.1/4). "Murder" was up from its week-ago Fast Affiliate Adult 18-49 rating by 7%.

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 02/25/16.