ABC'S THE MIDDLE Defeats Nearesst Scripted Competition

With its comedies returning to original for the first time in 3 weeks and the special "Nashville: On the Record 2," ABC finished a strong No. 2 during Wednesday's primetime in Adults 18-49 (1.7/6-tie). The Net ranked No. 1 from 8:00-10:00 p.m. with its comedy block (2.2/7) by 5% over CBS ("Survivor"/"Criminal Minds" = 2.1/7), by 29% over Fox's 2-hour "American Idol" (1.7/6) and by 100% over NBC ("The Mysteries of Laura"/"L&O: SVU" = 1.1/4).

ABC's "Modern Family" was Wednesday's No. 1 TV show in Adults 18-49 (2.8/9), while "black-ish" (2.1/7) and "The Goldbergs" (2.0/7-tie) came in at No. 3 and No. 4, respectively, behind only CBS' "Survivor."

On average season to date, ABC's 2-hour Wednesday comedy block is growing by double digits year to year in viewers (+17%) and young adults (+18%), drawing its biggest audience ever and a 3-year high in Adults 18-49.

"The Middle" (8:00-8:30 p.m. - 7.2 million and 1.8/7 in AD18-49):
At 8:00 p.m. against "Survivor," "The Middle" caught "Idol" in the half-hour among Adults 18-49 (1.8/7) and beat its scripted competition by 80% (NBC's "The Mysteries of Laura" = 1.0/4).

"The Goldbergs" (8:30-9:00 p.m. - 6.7 million and 2.0/7 in AD18-49):
Building on its Adult 18-49 lead-in by 11% at 8:30 p.m., "The Goldbergs" beat "Idol" for its 2nd straight original (2.0/7 vs. 1.7/6), increasing its lead to 18% from a 9% advantage on its most recent original 3 weeks ago.

The ABC sophomore comedy boosted its slot from the year ago night by wide margins ("Suburgatory" = 4.9 million and 1.4/5 on 3/26/14) in viewers (+37%) and young adults (+43%).

"Modern Family" (9:00-9:30 p.m. - 8.5 million and 2.8/9 in AD18-49):
At 9:00 p.m., Wednesday's top-rated show in Adults 18-49, "Modern Family," spiked over its lead-in to win its half-hour by 40% over runner-up "Criminal Minds" (2.8/9 vs. 2.0/6).

"black-ish" (9:30-10:00 p.m. - 6.5 million and 2.1/7 in AD18-49):
ABC's "black-ish" won the 9:30 p.m. half-hour in Adults 18-49 (2.1/7). The freshman ABC comedy delivered strong year-to-year time-period improvement in the half-hour ("Mixology" = 4.6 million and 1.6/5 on 3/26/14) in Total Viewers (+41%) and Adults 18-49 (+31%).

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.

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 Nielsen measure to gauge the size of the TV audience.

Source: The Nielsen Company, Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings for 03/25/15.

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