ABC's SCANDAL Season Finale Surges to Its Best Performance in 13 Weeks

For the 2nd Thursday in a row, ABC ran in a virtual tie with a "Big Bang" finale-led CBS for the Live + Same Day lead in Adults 18-49 (1.6/6 vs. 1.7/6), outdelivering original programming on NBC by 78% (0.9/3) and FOX by 129% (0.7/3). With the same 1-tenth L+SD spread, ABC is projected to once again win the night in the Live + 3 Day ratings. Last week, ABC went on to win the night by 11% over CBS in the Live + 3 Day Adult 18-49 ratings. From L+SD to L+3 in Adults 18-49, "Grey's" jumped +57%, "Scandal" surged +65% and "The Catch" spiked +59%.

ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" stood as Thursday's No. 2 TV show in Adults 18-49, trailing only CBS' season finale of "The Big Bang Theory." "Grey's" and the season finale of "Scandal" were Thursday's Top 2 dramas, and "The Catch" continued to run No. 1 against its drama competition in the 10 o'clock hour.

"Grey's Anatomy" (8:00-9:00 p.m. - 7.7 million and 2.1/8 in AD18-49):
From 8:00-9:00 p.m., ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" towered over its drama competition among Adults 18-49 (2.1/8), beating Fox's "Bones" by 163% (0.8/3). The ABC drama moved up to No. 1 in the 8:30 p.m. half-hour and beat out CBS' "Big Bang" finale-driven "The Odd Couple" by 25% (2.0/8 vs. 1.6/6). "Grey's" gained 5% week to week in Adults 18-49 (2.1/8 vs. 2.0/8) to deliver a 4-week high - since 4/14/16.

"Scandal" (9:00-10:00 p.m. - 6.6 million and 1.8/6 in AD18-49):
Ranking No. 1 during the 9 o'clock hour in Adults 18-49 (tied w/CBS), ABC's season finale of "Scandal" topped NBC's "The Blacklist" spin-off episode by 38% in Adults 18-49 (1.8/6 vs. 1.3/4) and tripled Fox's "American Grit" (+200% - 0.6/2). "Scandal" grew week to week by 8% in Total Viewers (+8% - 6.6 million vs 6.1 million) and surged 20% in Adults 18-49 (1.8/6 vs. 1.5/6), marking its best overall performance in 13 weeks - since its mid-season return on 2/11/16.

"The Catch" (10:00-11:00 p.m. - 4.2 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's "Game of Silence" by 29% (0.7/2). The ABC freshman drama held even week to week in Adults 18-49 (0.9/3) while growing 20% in Adults 18-34 and 8% in Adults 25-54. Versus the comparable weeks last season, "The Catch" is improving Thursday's 10:00 p.m. hour for ABC by 11% in Total Viewers and 7% in Adults 18-49.

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 5/12/16, unless otherwise specified.

Photo credit: ABC/ Byron Cohen*

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