ABC's 'S.H.I.E.L.D.' Winter Finale Marks Most Watched Telecast Since Early October

At 8:00 p.m., ABC's "The Middle" improved its new half-hour year to year by 27% in Adults 18-49 (1.4/5 vs. 1.1/4 for "The Muppets" on 12/8/15). Head to head, ABC's "The Middle" beat Fox's "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" by 40% with Adults 18-49 (1.0/4).

At 8:30 p.m., ABC's "American Housewife" held even with last week's Fast Affiliate Adult 18-49 rating (1.4/5), which adjusted up 1-tenth in the National ratings. Like its lead-in, the new comedy grew its time slot for ABC from the year-ago night in Adults 18-49 (+17% vs. a 1.2/4 for "Fresh Off the Boat" on 12/8/15) and dominated its FOX comedy competition in the half-hour by 75% ("New Girl" = 0.8/3).

From 9:00-10:00 p.m. against the mid-season finale of NBC's "This Is Us" and CBS' original "Bull," ABC's "Fresh Off the Boat" (1.1/4) and "The Real O'Neals" (0.8/3) doubled Fox's "Scream Queens" in Adults 18-49 (+100% - 1.0/3 vs. 0.5/2).

At 10:00 p.m., ABC's winter finale of "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." built week to week in Total Viewers (+4% - 2.5 million vs. 2.4 million) and held even with Adults 18-49 (0.8/3), marking its most watched telecast overall since early October - since 10/11/16. In its new hour-later Tuesday 10:00 p.m. slot this season, "S.H.I.E.L.D." is consistently scoring the show's biggest-ever playback lifts, spiking by 111% season to date from Live + Same Day to Live + 7 Day Adults 18-49.

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.

Source: The Nielsen Company Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings for 12/6/16.

Photo credit: ABC/ Jennifer Clasen

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