ABC's MODERN FAMILY and BLACK-ISH Hit Best-Since-Premiere Ratings

ABC Wednesday Prime (8:00-11:00 p.m. - 6.6 million and 1.8/6 in AD18-49): For the 4th straight week this season, ABC scored the No. 2 position on Wednesday in Adults 18-49 (1.8/6) to an "Empire"-fueled Fox, leading by double digits over CBS (+13% over "Survivor"/"Criminal Minds"/"Code Black" = 1.6/6) and NBC (+38% over "Blindspot"/"L&O: SVU"/"Chicago PD" = 1.3/5). Narrowing the gap week to week with Fox's "Empire" on the night by another 2-tenths to come within 1.0 rating point, ABC's "Modern Family" finished as the night's No. 2 TV show in Adults 18-49 (2.4/8).

Continuing to gain audience on the night, ABC's Wednesday grew year to year for the 4th straight week in Total Viewers (+10%) and remained even with Adults 18-49 (6.0 million and 1.8/6 on 10/14/15). In fact, ABC was the only major net to add audience from the year-ago night.

ABC's Wednesday 8:00-10:00 p.m. comedy block was up 6% week to week in Adults 18-49 (1.9/7 vs. 1.8/7). "The Goldbergs" held even (1.8/7); "Speechless" held even (1.8/6); "Modern Family" grew 9% to a best-since-premiere rating (2.4/8 vs. 2.2/8); and "black-ish" surged 20% to a best-since-premiere rating (1.8/6 vs. 1.5/5). The No. 1 TV show at 10:00 p.m., ABC's "Designated Survivor" held exactly even week to week in Adults 18-49 (1.6/6).

For the freshman series' 4th consecutive telecast, "Designated Survivor" attracted additional viewers to ABC over its lead-in at 10:00 p.m. (+1.1 million) and ranked as the No. 1 series in Wednesday's final hour of prime among Total Viewers (7.0 million) and Adults 18-49 (1.6/6), besting NBC's "Chicago PD" (6.1 million and 1.4/5) and CBS' "Code Black" (6.0 million and 1.1/4). Improving its slot by wide margins, the new ABC drama was up in the hour from the year-ago night by 56% in Total Viewers and 45% in Adults 18-49 (4.5 million and 1.1/4 for "Nashville" on 10/14/15).

"Designated Survivor" Posts 3 Biggest-Ever L3 Lifts: The third episode of "Designated Survivor" scored the series' largest playback build yet in Total Viewers, spiking +75% over its L+SD tally after just 3 days of TV playback (up from +69% the prior week and +53% for its debut). The new ABC drama has grown by more than +5.0 million viewers in L+3 playback for 3 straight telecasts and now claims the three largest Total Viewer L+3 increases on any network of the new season so far. With L+3 lifts of +75% in Viewers and +81% in Adults 18-49, "Designated Survivor" was last Wednesday's No. 1 broadcast gainer, topping the playback increases of Fox's "Empire" (+33% and +38%, respectively).

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.

Photo credit: ABC/ Ron Tom