ABC's GREY'S ANATOMY Up From Week-Ago Preliminary Adult 18-49 Rating

ABC finished in a virtual tie with a "Big Bang"-led CBS for the Live + Same Day lead on Thursday in Adults 18-49 (1.5/6 vs. 1.6/6), surpassing original programming on NBC by 88% (0.8/3) and FOX by 114% (0.7/3). ABC is projected to straight out win the night in the Live + 3 Day Adult 18-49 ratings once those numbers are released on Tuesday, which it has regularly done since the mid-season return of its TGIT lineup. Last week, from L+SD to L+3 in Adults 18-49, "Grey's" jumped by a best-ever +70%, "Scandal" surged +67% and "The Catch" spiked +58%.

Please note: On Cinco de Mayo, Adult 18-49 primetime TV usage levels on Thursday declined a sharp -10% week to week (26.0 vs. 29.0). As a result, TV playback is projected to increase.

ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" was Thursday's No. 2 TV show in Adults 18-49, trailing only CBS' "The Big Bang Theory." In addition, "Grey's" and "Scandal" were Thursday's Top 2 dramas, and "The Catch" ranked No. 1 against its drama competition in the 10 o'clock hour.

"Grey's Anatomy" (8:00-9:00 p.m. - 7.6 million and 2.0/8 in AD18-49):
From 8:00-9:00 p.m., ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" dominated its drama competition among Adults 18-49 (2.0/8), once again more than doubling Fox's "Bones" (+122% - 0.9/4). "Grey's" moved up to No. 1 in the 8:30 p.m. half-hour and beat out CBS' "Big Bang"-driven "The Odd Couple" by 19% (1.9/8 vs.1.6/6). "Grey's" was up from its week-ago Fast Affiliate Adult 18-49 rating (2.0/8 vs. 1.9/7), which adjusted up 1-tenth in the Nationals.

"Scandal" (9:00-10:00 p.m. - 6.1 million and 1.5/6 in AD18-49):
Running neck-and-neck for the lead during the 9 o'clock hour with CBS, ABC's "Scandal" beat out NBC's "The Blacklist" by 25% in Adults 18-49 (1.5/6 vs. 1.2/4) and Fox's "American Grit" by 114% (0.6/2). The ABC drama won the hour with Adults 18-34 and all key Women (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54). "Scandal" held steady week to week in Adults 18-49 (1.5/6 vs. 1.6/5).

"The Catch" (10:00-11:00 p.m. - 4.3 million and 0.9/3 in AD18-49):
At 10:00 p.m., ABC's "The Catch" ranked No. 1 in Adults 18-49 (0.9/3), tying CBS' "Rush Hour" (0.9/3) and beating NBC "Game of Silence" by 29% (0.7/3). The ABC freshman drama remained steady week to week in Adults 18-49 (0.9/3 vs. 1.0/3). Live + 3 Day Ratings for Last Thursday (4/28/16): "The Catch" was the biggest gainer at 10:00 p.m. on broadcast in Adults 18-49 (+58%), posting bigger lifts from L+SD to L+3 than CBS' "Rush Hour" (+22%) and NBC's "Game of Silence" (+54%).

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 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 5/5/16, unless otherwise specified.

Photo credit: ABC/ Richard Cartwright*

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