ABC Sees Best Non-Oscar Sunday Ratings Since January

Opposite CBS' special 3-hour Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains season finale coverage on the night (8-11pm), ABC earned a solid second place on Sunday in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, while ranking #1 with Women 18-34. Despite the increased competition, ABC generated its strongest non-Oscar Sunday since the beginning of January - since 1/10/10.

ABC's season closer of America's Funniest Home Videos finished a strong #1 in the 7 o'clock hour among Adults 18-49, outdelivering its nearest competition by 18% (CBS' 60 Minutes). In fact ABC's 20-year veteran video clip-show ran #1 the hour for the 4th time in 5 broadcasts in the key young adult sales demo. AFV was up from its year-ago finale in Total Viewers, Adults 18-34, Adults 25-54 and Kids 2-11.

From 8-9pm, the season finale of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition earned second place to the opening hour of CBS' special Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains season finale among Total Viewers and Adults 18-49. ABC's Home Edition outdrew the final hour of NBC's Miss USA by 3.6 million viewers and by 71% in Adults 18-49. Recording artist and actress Demi Lovato (star of Disney Channel's Sonny With A Chance and Camp Rock 2 The Final Jam) built a snowman with the help of the Williams family, and afterwards performed the new Disney's Friends for Change anthem, "Make a Wave." In Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, Home Edition posted its best results in more than 5 months - since 1/10/10.

From 9-10pm, the sixth-season finale of Desperate Housewives finished a strong #2 to Survivor in viewers and young adults, while placing a definitive #1 in the hour across each of the key Women demos (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54). Among Adults 18-49, Housewives registered as the top-rated scripted show on Sunday on each of its last 10 original telecasts this season. Desperate Housewives drew its biggest audience and its highest Adult 18-49 rating in over 5 months - since 1/10/10.

On its fourth-season finale, ABC's Brothers & Sisters took second place to the last hour of Survivor finale coverage, beating the final hour of NBC's Celebrity Apprentice by 4.0 million viewers and by 26% in Adults 18-49. The ABC drama finished #1 in the 10pm hour, beating Survivor, with Adults 18-34 and Women 18-34. Brothers and Sisters was up from its year-ago finale in Total Viewers and Adults 18-34. Building its Adult 18-49 audience for its 4th consecutive telecast, Brothers & Sisters pulled the series' best viewer and young adult numbers since the beginning of January - since 1/10/10.

Quick Take for Sunday, May 16, 2010 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

ABC Marks its Top Non-Oscar Sunday Since the Beginning of January

ABC's "AFV" Wins its Slot in Adults 18-49 for the 4th Time in 5 Telecasts

"Home Edition" Closer Generates a 4-Month High in Viewers and Young Adults

"Housewives" Finale Turns in the Series' Top Performance Since Early January

Building its Adult 18-49 Audience for the 4th Week in a Row, "Brothers & Sisters" Generates its Best Viewer and Young Adult Numbers in Over 4 Months

Sunday Night (7:00-11:00 p.m.)

Opposite CBS' special 3-hour "Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains" season finale coverage on the night (8:00-11:00 p.m.), ABC earned a solid second place on Sunday in Total Viewers (9.9 million) and Adults 18-49 (2.9/9), while ranking No.1 with Women 18-34 (3.1/10). Despite the increased competition on the night, ABC generated its strongest non-Oscar Sunday since the beginning of January with viewers and young adults - since 1/10/10.

"America's Funniest Home Videos" (7:00-8:00 p.m.)

ABC's season closer of "America's Funniest Home Videos" finished a strong No. 1 in the 7 o'clock hour among Adults 18-49 (2.0/7), outdelivering its nearest competition by 18% (CBS' "60 Minutes" = 1.7/6). In fact ABC's 20-year veteran video clip show ran No. 1 in the hour for the 4th time in 5 broadcasts in the key young adult sales demo.

· "AFV" grew over its year-ago finale in Viewers, Adults 18-34, Adults 25-54 and Kids 2-11.

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" (8:00-9:00 p.m.)

From 8:00-9:00 p.m., the season finale of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" earned second place to the opening hour of CBS' special "Survivor" finale among Total Viewers (9.7 million) and Adults 18-49 (2.9/8). ABC's "Home Edition" outdrew the final hour of NBC's "Miss USA" by 3.6 million viewers and by 71% in Adults 18-49 (6.1 million and 1.7/5). Recording artist and actress Demi Lovato (star of Disney Channel's "Sonny With A Chance" and "Camp Rock 2 The Final Jam") built a snowman with the help of the Williams family, and afterwards performed the new Disney's Friends for Change anthem, "Make a Wave."

· In Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, "Home Edition" posted its best results in more than 4 months - since 1/10/10.

"Desperate Housewives" (9:00-10:00 p.m.)

From 9:00-10:00 p.m., the sixth-season finale of ABC's "Desperate Housewives" finished a strong No. 2 to "Survivor" in viewers (12.6 million) and young adults (3.9/10), while placing a definitive No. 1 in the hour across each of the key Women demos (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54). Among Adults 18-49, "Housewives" registered as the top-rated scripted show on Sunday in each of its last 10 original telecasts this season.

· "Desperate Housewives" drew its biggest audience and its highest Adult 18-49 rating in over 4 months - since 1/10/10.

"Brothers & Sisters" (10:00-11:00 p.m.)

On its fourth-season finale, ABC's "Brothers & Sisters" took second place to the last hour of "Survivor" finale coverage on CBS, beating the final hour of NBC's "Celebrity Apprentice" by 4.0 million viewers (10.0 million vs. 6.0 million) and by 26% in Adults 18-49 (2.9/8 vs. 2.3/6). The ABC drama finished No. 1 in the 10 o'clock hour, topping "Survivor," with Adults 18-34 and Women 18-34. "Brothers & Sisters" was up from its year-ago finale in Total Viewers and Adults 18-34.

· Building its Adult 18-49 audience for its 4th consecutive telecast, "Brothers & Sisters" pulled the series' best viewer and young adult numbers since the beginning of January - since 1/10/10.

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 36% currently, from 31% at the same point in 2009. 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.

Source: Nielsen Media Research (Fast Affiliate, Live + Same Day Ratings), 5/16/10.

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