ABC's CELEBRITY WIFE SWAP Delivers Ratings Win for Network

By: Caryn Robbins Feb. 27, 2013

Opening at series highs against CBS' top-rated NCIS, ABC's season premiere of Celebrity Wife Swap led by wide margins in Adults 18-49 over FOX (+60% - Raising Hope/Raising Hope) and NBC (+85% - Off their Rockers/Off their Rockers) during the 8 o'clock hour. The ABC unscripted series won The Hour in Women 18-34, beating runner-up NCIS by 9%. Boosting The Hour week to week in Adults 18-49 (+50%), Celebrity Wife Swap posted ABC's top series number in the time period in more than 1 year - 2/7/12. The show grew from last season's Tuesday premiere by 17% in Total Viewers and by 14% in Adults 18-49 to post its best numbers ever on both counts.

Moving to its new 9pm time period, ABC's The Taste came into The Hour and beat out NBC's comedies (Go On/New Normal) by 27% in Adults 18-49. The Taste improved its new time period by 21% in Total Viewers and by 8% in Adults 18-49, over the Net's averages this season with regular programming

At 10pm opposite CBS' series debut of Golden Boy, ABC's Body Of Proof more than doubled the audience of NBC's SMASH and outdelivered the NBC drama by 33% in Adults 18-49. Although facing increased competition from the CBS' debut, Body Of Proof retained 100% of its week-ago premiere in Adults 18-49 and was up in Adults 18-34 (+14%) and Women 18-34 (+22%).