After Fox's "Empire," ABC aired 4 of the Top 5 next-highest-rated TV series on Wednesday with "Modern Family" (2.7/8), "The Goldbergs" (2.1/7 vs. 2.0/7 - 1-tenth ahead of CBS' "Survivor"), "The Middle" (1.9/7) and "black-ish" (1.9/6). "Modern Family" continued to narrow the Adult 18-49 gap with "Empire" on the night, trimming it by another 2-tenths of a rating point week to week (-2.3 points vs -2.5 points). ABC took 2nd place to Fox on Wednesday in Adults 18-49, moving 13% ahead of CBS (1.8/6 vs. 1.6/5) and beating NBC by 29% (1.4/4).
ABC's "The Middle" ran neck-and-neck with CBS' "Survivor" as the No. 1 series in the 8:00 p.m. half-hour among Adults 18-49 (pacing within 1-tenth of a rating point and tied in audience share - 1.9/7 vs. 2.0/7), while beating the first half-hours of Fox's "Rosewood" by 27% (1.5/6) and NBC's "The Mysteries of Laura" by 73% (1.1/4).
Building on its Adult 18-49 lead-in (+11%), "The Goldbergs" won its 8:30 p.m. slot by 5% over "Survivor" (2.1/7 vs. 2.0/7).
At 9:00 p.m., opposite the first half-hour of "Empire," ABC's "Modern Family" spiked over its lead-in by 29% in Adults 18-49 (2.7/8), standing 1 full rating point ahead of CBS' "Criminal Minds (1.7/5) and 1.2 rating points ahead of NBC's "Law & Order: SVU" (1.5/5).
Earning 2nd to "Empire" in the 9:30 p.m. half-hour among young adults, ABC's "black-ish" (1.9/6) was the only program of the night to grow week to week in Adults 18-49 (+6%).
At 10:00 p.m., ABC's "Nashville" (1.1/3) held steady week to week in Adults 18-49, tying CBS' "Code Black" (1.1/4) and closing the gap with NBC's "Chicago P.D." (1.5/5), as the NBC and CBS dramas dropped week to week. Please Note: "Nashville" is one of ABC's biggest gainers in TV playback and delivered a larger L3 lift last week than either of its 10:00 p.m. drama competitors: "Nashville" (+64%), "Code Black" (+53%) and "Chicago P.D." (+47%).
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 48% 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 10/7/15.
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