ABC's SCANDAL Delivers Strong 2nd-Place Finish

ABC finished #2 on Thursday night in Adults 18-49, Adults 25-54 and across all key Women demographics (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54).

During the 8 o'clock hour against CBS' top-rated comedies (The Big Bang Theory/Two and a Half Men) and Fox's The X Factor Results Show, ABC freshman Last Resort outdrew NBC's established comedies (30 Rock/Up All Night) by 2.5 million viewers and tied among Adults 18-49. One of the biggest percentage gainers via time-shifted playback for any 8pm show this season, ABC's Last Resort adds on 2.3 million viewers and shoots up by an impressive 53% (+0.9 rating) in Adults 18-49 from the next-day L+SD numbers to the final L+7 numbers.

· On average, the ABC freshman drama is generating big year-over-year improvement for ABC, boosting its time period by 30% in Total Viewers and by 41% in Adults 18-49 over the same point last season with original drama programming.

More than doubling its lead-in among Adults 18-49 (+138%) at 9pm, ABC's Grey's Anatomy ranked #1 in its hour and stood as Thursday's #1 drama for its 6th straight telecast this season. In addition, the ABC drama dominated the hour with Adults 18-34 and across all key Women demos (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54). Jumping in time-shifted playback this season, Grey's builds by 3.6 million viewers and by 1.8 Adult 18-49 rating points (+50%) from its next-day numbers to its L+7 finals.

· Grey's marked its best numbers in 4 weeks with Adults 18-34 and Women 18-34 - since 10/18/12.

· Broadcast TV's #1 drama in Adults 18-49 this season, ABC's Grey's Anatomy is up over the same point last year in both viewers (+6%) and young adults (+2%).

ABC's Scandal delivered another strong 2nd-place finish to CBS' Elementary in the 10 o'clock hour with Adults 18-49 (pacing within 2-tenths of a rating point of tying for #1), while leading by wide margins over NBC's Rock Center with BrIan Williams in Total Viewers (+53%) and Adults 18-49 (+91%). Additionally, Scandal once again defeated Elementary in Adults 18-34 and across all key Women (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54). Posting substantial increases from time-shifted playback, on average this season the ABC 10 o'clock drama jumps by 2.4 million viewers and by 40% in Adults 18-49 over its first-reported L+SD numbers to its Live + 7 Day results.

· Growing week to week by 11% in Adults 18-49, Scandal equaled a season high. In addition, the ABC drama scored the series' 2nd highest rating ever with Women 18-49.

Photo courtesy of ABC