ABC Marks Its Best Week Since November & Claims 7 of the Top 20 Shows

ABC earned 2nd place during the week in Adults 18-49 (1.2/4 - w/o 1/15/18) to FOX with coverage of the NFC Championship on Sunday, while beating NFL-free schedules on CBS and NBC by 20% each (tied at 1.0/4). Excluding sports, ABC won the week by 9% over runner-up FOX in Adults 18-49 (1.2/4 vs. 1.1/4). ABC delivered a network-leading 7 of the Top 20 TV programs in Adults 18-49: "Grey's Anatomy" - No. 7, "The Bachelor" and "Modern Family" tied at No. 10, "The Good Doctor" and "The Goldbergs" tied at No. 13, while "The Middle" and "NBA Saturday Primetime" tied at No. 18.

Growing week to week by 9% in Total Viewers (4.7 million vs. 4.3 million) and by 20% in Adults 18-49 (1.2/4 vs. 1.0/4), ABC drew its biggest weekly audience and equaled its top young adult number since November - since w/o 11/27/17 and w/o 11/13/17, respectively.

With rising numbers for "The Bachelor" and "The Good Doctor," ABC dominated Monday night over runner-up CBS by 1.5 million viewers (7.5 million vs. 6.0 million) and by 64% in Adults 18-49 (1.8/6 vs. 1.1/4). In fact, it was ABC's 4th straight week as Monday's No. 1 broadcaster with young adults. The Net spiked 20% to a new Monday season high in Adults 18-49.

Airing the top series on the night, ABC's "The Good Doctor" was Monday's most watched TV show overall (9.3 million) and "The Bachelor" was the night's No. 1 series in Adults 18-49 (1.8/6).

"The Bachelor" (8:00-10:01 p.m. - 6.6 million and 1.8/6 in AD18-49):
From 8:00-10:00 p.m., ABC's "The Bachelor" won its 2-hour slot over CBS original comedies by 5% in Total Viewers (6.6 million vs. 6.3 million) and by 50% in Adults 18-49 (1.8/6 vs. 1.2/4). "The Bachelor" jumped week to week by 1.0 million viewers (6.5 million vs. 5.6 million) and by 29% in Adults 18-49 (1.8/6 vs. 1.4/5) to deliver new season highs.

"The Good Doctor" (10:01-11:00 p.m. - 9.3 million and 1.7/6 in AD18-49):
In the 10 o'clock hour, ABC's "The Good Doctor" (1.7/6) beat its combined drama competition on CBS ("Scorpion" = 0.9/3) and NBC ("The Brave" = 0.7/3) by 6% in Adults 18-49. In addition, the ABC freshman drama outdrew CBS' runner-up "Scorpion" by 3.7 million viewers in the hour (9.3 million vs. 5.6 million).

"The Good Doctor" added 1.0 million viewers (9.3 million vs. 8.3 million) week to week and built 6% in Adults 18-49 (1.7/6 vs. 1.6/6), drawing its biggest audience and tying its top young adult rating in 2 months - since 11/20/17.

Posting week to week increases for each of its Wednesday comedies, ABC ranked No. 2 on the night in Adults 18-49 (1.3/5-tie), coming within 1-tenth of tying FOX for No. 1 ("The X-Files"/"9-1-1" = 1.4/5). ABC claimed 2 of the Top 3 shows as "Modern Family" ranked as Wednesday's No. 1 TV show in Adults 18-49 (tied with Fox's "9-1-1"), and ABC's "The Goldbergs" came in next at No. 3 on the night. The Net matched its top rating on the night with series programming since season-premiere Wednesday (on 9/27/17).

At 8:00 p.m., ABC's "The Goldbergs" grew over the previous week in Total Viewers (+7% - 6.5 million vs. 6.1 million) and Adults 18-49 (+13% - 1.7/7 vs. 1.5/6), drawing its biggest audience in 1 year and a best-since-premiere young adult number - since 1/11/17 and 9/27/17, respectively. The ABC comedy won its half-hour by 21% in Adults 18-49 over runner-up CBS' "The Amazing Race" (1.7/7 vs. 1.4/5).

At 8:30 p.m., ABC's "Speechless" rose for the 2nd straight week in viewers (+7% - 4.8 million vs. 4.5 million) and young adults (+8% - 1.3/5 vs. 1.2/4) to best-since-premiere results - since 9/27/17.

At 9:00 p.m., "Modern Family" gained 7% week to week in Total Viewers (6.2 million vs. 5.8 million) and 13% in Adults 18-49 (1.8/6 vs. 1.6/6) to earn its highest numbers since mid-October - since 10/11/17. "Modern Family" won its half-hour over Fox's "9-1-1" by 6% in Adults 18-49 (1.8/6 vs. 1.7/6).

In the 9:30 p.m. half-hour, ABC's "American Housewife" grew by 11% over the prior week in viewers (5.0 million vs. 4.5 million) and by 8% in young Adults (1.3/5 vs. 1.2/4), marking 3-month highs on both counts - since 10/18/17.

ABC's TGIT lineup returned strong after a 2-month break with all 3 dramas up from where they left off in November (since 11/16/17). ABC nearly caught a "Big Bang"-led CBS for No. 1 among Adults 18-49 (1.5/6 vs. 1.7/7), while beating all-original schedules on FOX by 36% ("The Four" = 1.1/4) and NBC by 50% (1.0/4). Topping CBS' "The Big Bang Theory" on the night with Adults 18-34 and key Women (W18-34/W18-49), ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" came back as Thursday's No. 1 TV show and helped ABC win Thursday prime on all 3 Nielsen measures.

In viewers (5.7 million) and young adults (1.5/6), ABC scored 15-week Thursday night highs - since 10/5/17.

At 8:00 p.m., ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" returned up from its last telecast in November with Total Viewers (+11% - 8.3 million vs. 7.5 million) and Adults 18-49 (+28% - 2.3/9 vs. 1.8/7), marking its most watched telecast in nearly 1 year and matching a 1-year high among young adults - since 2/9/17 and 1/26/17, respectively.

At 9:00 p.m., ABC's "Scandal" built over its last airing in Total Viewers (+4% - 5.2 million vs. 5.0 million) and Adults 18-49 (+18% - 1.3/5 vs. 1.1/4), scoring best-since-premiere results - since 10/5/17.

At 10:00 p.m., ABC's "How to Get Away with Murder" came back with gains over its most recent broadcast in Total Viewers (+3% - 3.8 million vs. 3.7 million) and Adults 18-49 (+11% - 1.0/4 vs. 0.9/4), posting its best numbers since mid-October - since 10/12/17. "HTGAWM" tied for No. 1 in its hour among Adults 18-49 with drama competition on CBS ("S.W.A.T." = 1.0/4) and NBC ("Chicago Fire" = 1.0/4) and is projected to straight out win the slot once TV Playback is included. In fact, "HTGAWM" is the season's 2nd biggest gainer on broadcast TV in L+7 Playback in Adults 18-49 (behind only ABC's "Designated Survivor"), more than doubling its L+SD rating with a +122% lift.

"20/20" (10:01-11:00 p.m. - 4.8 million and 0.8/3 in AD18-49):
Building sharply on its lead-in at 10:00 p.m., ABC's "20/20" stood as Friday's No. 1 newsmagazine and saw its audience jump week to week by 1.5 million viewers (4.8 million vs. 3.3 million) and advance by double digits in both Adults 18-49 (+14% - 0.8/4 vs. 0.7/3) and Adults 25-54 (+20% - 1.2/4 vs. 1.0/3). The ABC newsmagazine built to new season highs with Total Viewers and Adults 25-54 for the 2nd time in 3 weeks and equaled a season best with Adults 18-49, marking its most watched telecast overall in nearly 1 year - since 2/24/17. Head to head in the 10 o'clock hour, ABC's "20/20" beat NBC's "Dateline" (3.6 million, 0.7/3 and 1.0/3) by 33% in Total Viewers, by 14% in Adults 18-49 and by 20% in Adults 25-54. "20/20" reported on 13 siblings authorities say were found captive inside a California home.

With the third season premiere of "NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC," the Net won Saturday night among Total Viewers (4.1 million) and Adults 18-49 (1.2/3). Featuring the Golden State Warriors at the Houston Rockets in its season opener, "NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC" was the evening's No. 1 TV program in Adults 18-49 (1.4/6). "NBA Saturday Primetime" grew over the year-ago opening game (3.6 million and 1.2/5 on 1/21/17) by 25% in Total Viewers and 17% with Adults 18-49 to mark its most watched starting game.

WEEK NO. 17: ADULTS 18-49 TOTAL VIEWERS
No.1 FOX 3.3 No.1 FOX 10,600,000
No.2 ABC 1.2 No.2 CBS 6,920,000
No.3 CBS 1.0 No.3 ABC 4,740,000
No.3 NBC 1.0 No.4 NBC 4,690,000
No.5 CW 0.5 No.5 CW 1,530,000

Source: The Nielsen Company, National Live+ Same Day Program Ratings for week of 1/15/18, unless stated otherwise.

Image courtesy of ABC

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