ABC's THE BACHELORETTE Up Year to Year; Hits Best-Since-Premiere Numbers

ABC delivered a dominant win during the week (w/o 6/2/14), beating its nearest competition by 17% in Total Viewers (6.9 million vs. 5.9 million - CBS) and by 44% in Adults 18-49 (2.3/8 vs. 1.6/6 - NBC). In fact, the Net led in viewers for the 2nd time in 3 weeks and was No. 1 in young adults for the 6th time in 8 weeks.

Rankings: ABC aired 7 of the Top 20 TV shows in Adults 18-49, including the Top 2 programs with the opening games of the 2014 NBA Finals: "NBA Finals on ABC-GM 1" and "NBA Finals on ABC-GM 2" tied at No. 1, "Kia NBA Countdown-GM 1" - No. 6, "The Bachelorette" - No. 11, "Modern Family" - No. 16, while "Celebrity Wife Swap" and "20/20" tied at No. 18. Games 1 and 2 of The Finals also finished as the Top 2 most-watched TV programs overall for the week. ABC delivered the week's Top 2 newsmagazines with "20/20" and "What Would You Do?" key Adults (AD18-49/AD25-54), as "20/20" was the No. 1 newsmagazine for the 3rd week in a row among Adults 18-49.

Posting the biggest year-to-year growth among the broadcasters, ABC was up by 15% over the same week last year in both Total Viewers and Adults 18-49 (6.0 million and 2.0/7 on w/o 6/3/13). The Net equaled its top-rated non-Oscar week in nearly 1 year among Adults 18-49 - since w/o 6/17/13.

Monday
With "The Bachelorette" and the 2nd season premiere of "Mistresses," ABC was the most-watched TV network overall on Monday for the 7th time in 8 weeks (6.1 million) and also held the No. 1 position on the night among Women 18-49 (2.4/7) and Women 25-54 (2.8/7) for the 2nd straight week.

ABC was up 15% in Total Viewers over the same night last year (5.3 million on 6/3/13).

ABC's "The Bachelorette" finished as Monday's most-watched TV show overall (6.7 million), ranking as the top series on the night for the 2nd week running.

"The Bachelorette" (8:00-10:01 p.m. - 6.7 million and 1.8/6 in AD18-49):
From 8:00-10:01 p.m., "The Bachelorette" was up week to week in Total Viewers (+12%) and Adults 18-49 (+13%) to deliver best-since-premiere numbers. The show was also up sharply from its Sunday special, spiking 34% in Total Viewers and 29% in Adults 18-49 (5.0 million and 1.4/4 on 6/1/14). The ABC unscripted series ranked No. 1 in its time period among Total Viewers, Adults 18-49 (tie) and key Women (W18-49/W25-54).

"The Bachelorette" was up over its year-ago telecast by 18% in Total Viewers and by 6% in Adults 18-49 (5.7 million and 1.7/5 on 6/3/13).

"Mistresses" (10:01-11:00 p.m. - 4.7 million and 1.2/4 in AD18-49):
During the 10:00 p.m. hour, ABC's "Mistresses" opened its 2nd season with its most-watched telecast ever, rising 7% over its year-ago debut (4.7 million vs. 4.4 million on 6/3/13). In addition, the show held even with its year-ago debut in Adults 18-49 (1.2/3 on 6/3/13) and was up 9% from its September season finale (1.1/3 on 9/9/13).

Please Note: During its first season, "Mistresses" saw big increases via TV playback, jumping 50% from its initially-reported Live + Same Day number to its final Live +7 Day Adult 18-49 rating and making it the 2nd-biggest gainer for any summer broadcast series in 2013 (behind only ABC's "Rookie Blue").

Tuesday
With the unscripted combo of "Extreme Weight Loss" and "Celebrity Wife Swap," ABC took second place on Tuesday in Adults 18-49 to NBC with "America's Got Talent," more than tripling Fox's original lineup (+225% - 1.3/4 vs. 0.4/1).

"Extreme Weight Loss" (8:00-10:00 p.m. - 4.1 million and 1.2/4 in AD18-49):
From 8:00-10:00 p.m., ABC's "Extreme Weight Loss" topped its year-ago telecast for the 2nd week in a row among Adults 18-49 (+20% - 1.2/4 vs. 1.0/3 on 6/4/13). In addition, the show was up from its week-ago premiere in Total Viewers (+3%) for its most-watched telecast in more than 1 year - since 5/28/13.

"Celebrity Wife Swap" (10:00-11:00 p.m. - 4.2 million and 1.5/5 in AD18-49):
Building on its lead-in during the 10:00 p.m. hour, ABC's "Celebrity Wife Swap" was up for its 2nd straight telecast to new season highs in both Total Viewers (+8%) and Adults 18-49 (+25%). In fact, "Celebrity Wife Swap" earned its largest overall audience since last June and its highest Adult 18-49 number since mid-March 2013 - since 6/23/13 and 3/12/13, respectively. The show finished No. 1 in The Hour among Adults 18-49, tying NBC's "America's Got Talent"-fueled "The Night Shift" (1.5/5).

Please Note: "Celebrity Wife Swap" will return to The Hour on June 24, 2014, following the conclusion of ABC's 2014 NBA Finals coverage.

Wednesday
"The Middle-R" (8:00-8:30 p.m. - 5.2 million and 1.1/4 in AD18-49):
At 8:00 p.m., ABC's repeat "The Middle" ranked as the most-watched TV program (5.2 million), outdrawing Fox's original "So You Think You Can Dance" (4.8 million), CBS' encore "Undercover Boss" (4.5 million) and NBC's Stanley Cup coverage (3.9 million).

"The Goldbergs-R" (8:30-9:00 p.m. - 4.6 million and 1.2/4 in AD18-49):
In its new 8:30 p.m. slot, ABC's encore "The Goldbergs" built on its lead-in among Adults 18-49 (+9% - 1.2/4), Adults 18-34 (+13%) and Teens 12-17 (+17%).

"Modern Family-R" (9:00-9:31 p.m. - 5.4 million and 1.6/5 in AD18-49):
At 9:00 p.m., ABC's repeat "Modern Family" was up week to week (+14%) to rank as Wednesday's No. 1 TV series in Adults 18-49 (1.6/5), outdelivering Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance" (1.5/5) on the night.

"The Goldbergs-R" (9:31-10:00 p.m. - 4.5 million and 1.4/4 in AD18-49):
In the 9:30 p.m. half-hour, the night's second encore of ABC's "The Goldbergs" was up week to week in Adults 18-49 (+17%) to post its best-ever repeat number (1.4/4).

"Motive" (10:00-11:00 p.m. - 5.4 million and 1.1/4 in AD18-49):
During the 10 o'clock hour opposite Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals, ABC's "Motive" built to season highs, growing week to week by 32% in Total Viewers (5.4 million vs. 4.1 million), by 22% in Adults 18-49 (1.1/4 vs. 0.9/3) and by 15% in Adults 25-54 (1.5/4 vs. 1.3/3). The ABC drama was the No. 1 series in The Hour among Adults 25-54, while winning its slot outright among Women 25-54.

In Total Viewers, Adults 18-49 and Adults 25-54, "Motive" delivered its strongest numbers in more than 1 year - since 5/30/13.

Thursday
With coverage of the 2014 NBA Finals Game 1 between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs, ABC soared to the top of Thursday night, outpacing its nearest competitor during Primetime by 5.3 million viewers (11.0 million vs. 5.7 million - CBS) and beating the other nets' combined delivery among Adults 18-49 (+8% - 4.3/15 vs. 4.0/13 - CBS, NBC, FOX and CW combined). The Net also took full control of Primetime with Adults 18-34, Adults 25-54 and across all key Men (M18-34/M18-49/M25-54).

Among Adults 18-49, the Net marked its top-rated Thursday in nearly 1 year - since 6/20/13.

"Jimmy Kimmel Live Game Night 1" (Various Time Periods)
Airing around the NBA Finals in various time periods across the country, "Jimmy Kimmel Live Game Night 1" generated wide exposure for the ABC late-night talker in primetime. On average, "Kimmel Game Night" was up by 44% in Total Viewers (3.9 million vs. 2.7 million) and by 57% in Adults 18-49 (1.1/5 vs. 0.7/3) over the show's 2013-14 season averages in late-night. Delivering its 4th-straight season of growth in late-night, ABC's "Kimmel" just finished its most-watched season ever.

"NBA Finals on ABC Game 1" (9:00 - 11:46 p.m. E.T.)
Featuring the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs, ABC's 2014 NBA Finals Game 1 overshadowed its Primetime competition and finished as Thursday's definitive No. 1 TV program in Total Viewers (14.9 million) and across each of the key Adult demographics: A18-34 (6.0/24), A18-49 (6.0/20) and A25-54 (6.1/18). San Antonio won the opening game of the series by a score of 105-95 to lead the best-of-seven series 1-0. Among Adults 18-49, the 2014 NBA Finals Game 1 stands as TV's No. 1 telecast since the early April - since 4/7/14.

Game 1 of The Finals was up year to year in Total Viewers (+5% - 14.9 million vs. 14.2 million) and Adults 18-49 (+5% - 6.0/20 vs. 5.7/18).

In Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, it was the 3rd-biggest start since 2004 for the NBA Finals and ABC's best-ever Game 1 featuring a San Antonio series (this is the 5th appearance by the team since it began its carriage in 2003). It was also the strongest Thursday opener for The Finals on ABC out of 8 occasions in the last 12 years of broadcasting the series.

The NBA Finals on ABC was the most social TV program on Thursday with 3,091,043 tweets, jumping 15% over last year's Game 1 (2,690,045 tweets).

Friday
With a repeat "Shark Tank' leading into originals of "What Would You Do?" and "20/20," ABC ranked as Friday's No. 1 network in Adults 18-49 (1.4/5), beating runner-up NBC with an all-original lineup by 40% (1.0/4). In addition, ABC qualified as the night's most-watched network overall (5.2 million). The Net won the night for the 2nd time in 3 weeks this summer in both Viewers and young adults.

ABC claimed the Top 2 TV shows of the evening in Adults 18-49 and Adults 25-54, with "20/20" and "What Would You Do?," respectively. In addition, all three ABC series won their respective hours among key Adults (AD18-49/AD25-54).

The Network was up by double-digits over the same night last year (6/7/13) in Total Viewers (+16% - 5.2 million vs. 4.5 million) and Adults 18-49 (+17% - 1.4/5 vs. 1.2/4).

"Shark Tank - R" (8:00-9:00 p.m. - 4.6 million and 1.2/5 in AD18-49):
In the 8 o'clock hour, ABC's encore "Shark Tank" ranked No. 1 in Adults 18-49 (1.2/5), dominating its encore unscripted competition head-to-head on CBS by 71% ("Undercover Boss" = 0.7/3) and on FOX by 100% ("Masterchef" = 0.6/3). "Shark Tank" was up week to week by 9% in Adults 18-49 to score its best repeat number this summer.

"What Would You Do?" (9:00-10:00 p.m. - 4.6 million and 1.4/5 in AD18-49):
From 9:00-10:00 p.m., ABC's "What Would You Do?" won The Hour among key Adults, topping NBC's "Dateline" by 17% in Adults 18-49 (1.4/5 vs. 1.2/5) and by 13% in Adults 25-54 (1.8/6 vs.1.6/5). "WWYD?" increased its overall audience over the prior week (+5%), while growing by double-digits in Adults 18-49 (+17%) and Adults 25-54 (+13%) to hit new season highs. In fact, "WWYD?" scored its highest-rated telecast among key Adults (AD18-49/AD25-54) since October 2012 - since 10/19/12.

"WWYD?" grew over its year-ago telecast (4.1 million, 1.3/4 and 1.5/5 on 6/7/13) by 12% in Total Viewers, 8% in Adults 18-49 and 20% in Adults 25-54.

"20/20" (10:00-11:00 p.m. - 6.3 million and 1.5/6 in AD18-49):
ABC's "20/20" dominated the 10:00 p.m. hour, towering over NBC's "Crossbones" by 67% in Adults 18-49 (1.5/6 vs. 0.9/3) and by 82% in Adults 25-54 (2.0/6 vs. 1.1/4). The ABC newsmagazine was the No. 1 series in its hour for its 14th straight telecast in Adults 18-49. "20/20" delivered summer highs, up week to week by 9% in Total Viewers, 7% in Adults 18-49 and 11% in Adults 25-54. In an explosive whodunit story, "20/20" investigated the murder of Lucy Johnson, who was shot in the head twice and left in a house set on fire, with police focusing on four men in her life.

For the 3rd straight week this summer, "20/20" was up year over year (4.5 million, 1.1/4 and 1.5/4 on 6/7/13) in Total Viewers (+40%), Adults 18-49 (+36%) and Adults 25-54 (+33%).

Saturday
With "Bet on Your Baby" and "Sing Your Face Off" opposite NBC's Stanley Cup Finals Game 2, ABC beat FOX with MLB coverage by 75% in Adults 18-49 (0.7/3 vs. 0.4/2).

"Bet on Your Baby" (8:00-9:00 p.m. - 2.4 million and 0.5/2 in AD18-49):
From 8:00-9:00 p.m., ABC's "Bet on Your Baby" grew from its week-ago season premiere by 9% in Total Viewers (2.3 million vs. 2.2 million) to its largest audience in over 1 year (since 4/27/13), while holding steady in Adults 18-49 (0.5/2).

"Sing Your Face Off" (9:00-11:00 p.m. - 2.9 million and 0.7/3 in AD18-49):
Despite increased competition from the Stanley Cup Finals from 9:00-11:00 p.m., ABC's "Sing Your Face Off" was up from its week-ago series debut by 15% in Total Viewers (3.1 million vs. 2.7 million) and by 17% in Adults 18-49 (0.7/3 vs. 0.6/2). The new show built on its lead-in and surged by double-digits from its first hour to its second hour in Total Viewers (+21%) and Adults 18-49 (+14%).

Sunday
Featuring coverage of the 2014 NBA Finals Game 2 (Miami-San Antonio), ABC shot to the top of Sunday night, topping runner-up CBS with the "Tony Awards" by 4.9 million viewers (12.3 million vs. 7.4 million - CBS) and outdelivering the other nets combined by 45% in Adults 18-49 (4.8/14 vs. 3.3/11 - CBS, NBC and FOX combined). In fact it was ABC's 2nd-straight night to beat its combined competition with NBA Finals coverage among young adults.

ABC delivered its strongest non-"Oscar" Sunday in almost 1 year among Adults 18-49 - since 6/16/13.

"Jimmy Kimmel Live Game Night 1" (Various Time Periods)
Airing around the NBA Finals in various time periods across the country, "Jimmy Kimmel Live Game Night 2" generated wide exposure for the ABC late-night talker in primetime. On average through two telecasts, "Kimmel Game Night" is up by 33% in Total Viewers (3.6 million vs. 2.7 million) and by 57% in Adults 18-49 (1.1/5 vs. 0.7/3) over the show's 2013-14 season averages in late-night. Delivering its 4th straight season of growth in late-night, ABC's "Kimmel" just finished its most-watched season ever.

ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live Game Night 2" grew over last year's telecast (on 6/9/13) by 27% in viewers (3.3 million vs. 2.6 million) and by 57% in young adults (1.1/5 vs. 0.7/3) to attract the special's 2nd-largest-ever audience for a "Game Night 2" and tie its highest-ever delivery in Adults 18-49.

"NBA Finals on ABC Game 2" (8:00 - 11:00 p.m. E.T.)
With the Miami Heat at the San Antonio Spurs, ABC's 2014 NBA Finals Game 2 was Sunday's dominant No. 1 TV program in Total Viewers (15.1 million) and across each of the key Adult demographics: A18-34 (5.5/20), A18-49 (6.0/18) and A25-54 (6.3/17). Building its overall viewer count from Game 1 to Game 2, it was the 2nd-consecutive broadcast for the 2014 NBA Finals to finish as the No. 1 TV program of the night. Miami won the second game of the series by a score of 98-96 to tie the best-of-seven series 1-1.

ABC's NBA Finals coverage grew year over year for its 2nd-consecutive telecast, topping the 2013 Game 2 in both Total Viewers (+3% - 15.1 million vs. 14.6 million) and Adults 18-49 (+3% - 6.0/18 vs. 5.8/17). In fact, on average, the 2014 NBA Finals is up year to year by 4% in Total Viewers (15.0 million vs. 14.4 million) and by 3% in Adults 18-49 (6.0/19 vs. 5.8/17).

The NBA Finals Game 2 on ABC was Sunday's most social TV program with 1,893,026 tweets, up 3% over last year's Game 2 (1,837,246 tweets).

WEEK NO. 37: ADULTS 18-49 TOTAL VIEWERS
No.1 ABC 2.3 No.1 ABC 6,900,000
No.2 NBC 1.6 No.2 CBS 5,850,000
No.3 CBS 0.9 No.3 NBC 5,650,000
No.3 FOX 0.9 No.4 FOX 3,010,000
No.5 CW 0.4 No.5 CW 1,020,000

Source: The Nielsen Company, National, Live+ Same Day Program Ratings for week of 06/02/14.

To post a comment, you must register and login.