SPLASH Debuts as ABC's Top Unscripted Premiere in Since 2011 in Adults 18-49

Up against all-original competition on Tuesday, ABC finished No. 2 to CBS in both Total Viewers (8.9 million) and Adults 18-49 (2.0/6 - tie).

• ABC marked its most-watched Tuesday since November - since 11/27/12.

"Splash" (8:00-9:00 p.m.)
At 8:00 p.m., opposite CBS' top-rated "NCIS," ABC's "Splash" opened way ahead of its unscripted competition in the hour, beating Fox's "Hell's Kitchen" by 3.9 million viewers (8.8 million vs. 4.9 million) and by 30% in Adults 18-49 (2.6/8 vs. 2.0/6). It ranked No. 1 in The Hour with Women 18-34 (tying "NCIS") and was the top-rated broadcast with Kids 2-11. The new show gained audience throughout its premiere, building in viewers (+3%) and young adults (+8%) from its first half-hour to its second half-hour. "Splash" was broadcast TV's most-social program on Tuesday night.

• Among Adults 18-49, "Splash" stands as ABC's biggest unscripted series debut in more than 2 years and the highest on any net since "The X-Factor" opened in September 2011 - since 3/6/11 and 9/22/11, respectively. In addition, "Splash" posted ABC's top Adult 18-49 rating in the time period with series programming in nearly 1-1/2 years - since 10/18/11.

"DWTS: Exclusive First Look" (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
At 9:00 p.m., ABC's special "DWTS: Exclusive First Look" pulled in a strong Adult 18-49 number (2.1/6), taking second to "NCIS: LA" and beating first-run comedies on FOX by 11% ("New Girl"/"The Mindy Project" = 1.9/5) and on NBC by 133% ("Go On"/"The New Normal" = 0.9/2).

"Body of Proof" (10:00-11:00 p.m.)
During the 10:00 p.m. hour, ABC's "Body of Proof" jumped week to week in Total Viewers (+26% - 8.3 million vs. 6.6 million) and Adults 18-49 (+25% - 1.5/4 vs. 1.2/3) to earn season highs.

• Building its overall audience for its 3rd straight telecast, "Body of Proof" delivered ABC's biggest audience in The Hour with scripted programming since April 10, 2012.

A note about increasing DVR penetration and year-to-year rating comparisons: Year-to-year rating comparisons based on the Live + Same Day data stream are distorted by the level of DVR penetration in the Nielsen sample, which has jumped up to 47% currently, from 43% at the same point in 2012. More viewers are watching shows on their own timetables, which may not be reflected in the overnight next day numbers. The only truly valid year-to-year comparison would be one based on the Live + 7 Day metric, once those stats are released by Nielsen.

Source: The Nielsen Company (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings), 03/19/13.

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