ABC's 'GREY'S and SCANDAL Are Top 2 TV Series in Adults 18 - 49

Opposite increasing numbers for CBS' 2017 NCAA BASKETBALL Regional Semifinals during primetime, ABC's TGIT lineup took 2nd place and qualified as the entertainment leader on Thursday for the 8th straight week since its January return in Adults 18-49 (1.3/5), beating FOX and NBC by 63% each (0.8/3 - tied).

At 8:00 p.m., ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" ranked as Thursday's No. 1 TV series for the 2nd week in a row in Total Viewers (7.8 million) and Adults 18-49 (1.9/7).

At 9:00 p.m., ABC's "Scandal" finished as the No. 1 series in its hour for its 7th consecutive airing since its return with Adults 18-49 (1.3/5). In addition, "Scandal" was the No. 2 TV series on Thursday in Adults 18-49, behind only "Grey's."

At 10:00 p.m., ABC's "The Catch" ranked as the No. 1 series in its hour in Adults 18-49 (0.7/3 - tied w/NBC's "The Blacklist: Redemption") and held even with its week-ago National rating, which adjusted down 1-tenth from its Fast Affiliate number.

Projections Rationale: Lifts vs. L+SD are based on 2016-17 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 3/23/17.