ABC's AMERICAN CRIME is No. 1 Series in Slot for 3rd Straight Week

At 8:00 p.m., ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" won its hour and beat Fox's "American Idol" for the 3rd week in a row among Adults 18-49 (2.1/7 vs. 1.7/6), building its winning advantage to 24% (up from a 17% advantage and a 9% advantage the two weeks prior). "Grey's" gained 5% week to week in Total Viewers (7.8 million vs. 7.4 million) and held steady in Adults 18-49.

"Scandal" (9:00-10:00 p.m. - 8.0 million and 2.4/7 in AD18-49):
At 9:00 p.m., ABC's "Scandal" led its hour among Adults 18-49 (2.4/7), winning by wide margins over NBC's "The Blacklist" (+33% - 1.8/5) and the second hour of Fox's "American Idol" (+33% - 1.8/6).

On average season to date, "Scandal" is growing by double digits in Total Viewers (+20% - 13.2 million vs. 10.9 million) and Adults 18-49 (+15% - 4.5/14 vs. 3.9/11).

"American Crime" (10:00-11:00 p.m. - 5.7 million and 1.2/4 in AD18-49):
At 10:00 p.m., ABC freshman "American Crime" was the No. 1 series in the slot for the 3rd straight week in Adults 18-49 (1.2/4), towering over its freshman NBC drama competition (+71% over "The Slap" = 0.7/2). Despite heightened competition in the hour from CBS' NCAA Basketball Tournament coverage, the new ABC drama retained nearly all of its Total Viewer count week to week (98% - 5.7 million vs. 5.8 million).

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 measure to gauge the size of the TV audience.

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.

Source: The Nielsen Company, Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings, 03/19/15.