ABC's SCANDAL Dominates Its Drama Competition in Key Demo

ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" (2.1/7), "Scandal" (1.7/5) and "How to Get Away with Murder" (1.5/5) finished as Thursday's Top 3 dramas for the 3rd week running in Adults 18-49, outdelivering the other 4 dramas on the night, including NBC's "You, Me and the Apocalypse" (0.6/2), "The Blacklist" (1.3/4) and "Shades of Blue" (1.0/4), as well as CBS' "Elementary" (1.1/4).

"Grey's Anatomy" (8:00-9:00 p.m. - 7.2 million and 2.1/7 in AD18-49):
At 8:00 p.m. opposite CBS' "The Big Bang Theory" (200th episode) and "Life in Pieces," ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" (2.1/7) beat out the first hour of Fox's 2-hour "American Idol" in Adults 18-49 (2.0/7) and overshadowed NBC's "You, Me and the Apocalypse" by 250% (0.6/2).

"Scandal" (9:00-10:00 p.m. - 5.9 million and 1.7/5 in AD18-49): At 9:00 p.m., ABC's "Scandal" dominated its drama competition in Adults 18-49 (1.8/6), leading NBC's "The Blacklist" by 31% (1.3/4).

"How to Get Away with Murder" (10:00-11:00 p.m. - 4.9 million and 1.5/5 in AD18-49):
In the 10 o'clock hour, ABC's "How to Get Away with Murder" (1.5/5) dominated its NBC and CBS drama competition for the 3rd-consecutive week, leading "Shades of Blue" by 50% (1.0/4) and "Elementary" by 36% (1.1/4). "Murder" was up from its week-ago Fast Affiliate Adult 18-49 rating by 7%.

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.

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 02/25/16.