ABC Tops Friday in Ratings for Third Consecutive Week

By: Tyler Peterson Nov. 18, 2012

Featuring its 8-9pm comedies (Last Man Standing/Malibu Country), Shark Tank and 20/20, ABC ranked #1 on Friday in Adults 18-49 for the 3 rd week in a row, beating CBS by 7%, NBC by 33% and Fox by 45%. ABC's Shark Tank stood as Friday's #1 TV show for the 3 rd week running among young adults.

· The Network grew over the same night last November by 1.3 million viewers and by 23% in Adults 18-49.

At 8pm, ABC's Last Man Standing ran in a virtual tie for first in its half-hour with CBS' Undercover Boss in Adults 18-49 (pacing within 1-tenth of a rating point and tying in audience share), while ranking #1 against its broadcast competition with Teens 12-17.

· Last Man Standing generated big year-over-year time-period improvement for ABC in viewers (+51%) and young adults (+40%),.

At 8:30pm, ABC's Malibu Country also finished a strong second in its slot with Total Viewers and Adults 18-49 against its net rivals, beating out the second half-hour of Fox's Kitchen Nightmares. The new ABC comedy ran #1 opposite its broadcast competitors in Teens 12-17.

· Like its lead-in, Malibu Country scored substantial time period gains over the year-ago night, boosting its half-hour by 2.0 million viewers and by 18% in Adults 18-49.

Shooting up from its lead-in by 46% in Adults 18-49 to qualify as the night's top-rated show, ABC's Shark Tank took full control of the 9 o'clock hour, winning by double digits over NBC's Grimm by 19%, CBS' CSI: NY by 36% and Fox's Fringe by 111%.

· Shark Tank boosted its hour by wide margins from the same night last year in viewers (+16%) and young adults (+27%).

ABC's 20/20 ranked #1 during the 10 o'clock hour in Adults 18-49 for the 2nd week in a row. In addition, the ABC newsmagazine beat out NBC's Dateline in head-to-head competition by 1.4 million viewers, by 17% in Adults 18-49 and by 18% in Adults 25-54. Anchored by Chris Cuomo with reports from Jim Avila, Amy Robach and Elizabeth Leamy, 20/20 featured an investigation into the food we eat and the restaurants we frequent.

· 20/20 produced its most-watched telecast in 9 weeks, hitting a best-since-premiere number - since 9/14/12.

· Building year-to-year for its 4th straight telecast, ABC's 20/20 was up over the year-ago night by 11% in Adults 25-54.