THE FLASH is a Smash! New CW Series Delivers 4.5 Million Viewers

The CW's highly anticipated new series THE FLASH zoomed out of the gates last night. Tuesday's series debut of THE FLASH (8:00-9:00 pm) marked The CW's most watched (4.54 million) and highest-rated series premiere in adults 18-49 (1.8/6) in more than five years, since THE VAMPIRE DIARIES bowed in 2009, according to preliminary Live Plus Same Day Nielsen ratings for Tuesday, October 7, 2014.

Click here to read BWW's exclusive recap of last night's episode.

THE FLASH is The CW's third most watched and third highest-rated series premiere ever in adults 18-49, behind only THE VAMPIRE DIARIES and 90210.

In fact, THE FLASH debut was the most watched telecast of any CW show since the series premiere of THE VAMPIRE DIARIES on 9/10/09.

Competitively, THE FLASH ranked second in its 8:00-9:00pm time period among adults 18-34, behind only NBC, and beat both ABC and Fox in total viewers. For the night overall, The CW ranked #2 in adults 18-34 (1.3/5) and topped ABC and Fox with adults 18-49 (1.5/5).

THE FLASH premiere posted The CW's largest audience in the Tuesday 8:00-9:00p.m. hour in more than seven years (GILMORE GIRLS series finale on 5/15/07) and best adults 18-49 in the hour in more than six years (90210 on 9/2/08). THE FLASH ties the network's best ever performance in the time period in men 18-34 (1.8/7, GILMORE GIRLS on 5/15/07).

In the local markets, THE FLASH ranked #1 in its time period among adults 18-34 in New York, Chicago, Charlotte, Houston, Detroit, Miami, San Francisco, Cleveland, Baltimore, and Dallas, and also #1 in adults 18-49 in New York, Chicago, Charlotte, and Orlando.

At 9 o'clock, the tenth season premiere of SUPERNATURAL turned in the series' best premiere since 2010 among viewers (2.79 million) and adults 18-34 (1.1/4). SUPERNATURAL also outperformed ABC's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." in the hour among adults 18-34, and drew more total viewers than Fox's comedy block in the hour.

THE FLASH and SUPERNATURAL combined to give The CW its most watched (3.66M) Tuesday night in more than six years (90210 premiere on 9/2/08) and best Tuesday ratings in adults 18-49 (1.5/5) since 9/9/08. This was network's best Tuesday night EVER in men 18-49 (1.7/6) and ties The CW's bestTuesday ever in men 18-34 (1.6/6).

Overall, last night marked The CW best night of primetime (on any night) in more than four years (5/12/10) among viewers (3.66M), and best night among adults 18-49 (1.5/5) since 9/9/10.

The Live+7 projections for last night estimate that THE FLASH will add an additional +28% in total viewers, +35% in adults 18-34, and +36% in adults 18-49, and SUPERNATURAL adding +43% more total viewers, and increase +46% in adults 18-34 and +48% in adults 18-49.

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