Quick Take for Wednesday, May 24, 2006 (Based on Fast Affiliate Ratings)
With the Second Season Finale of �Lost,� ABC Draws its Biggest Wednesday Audience in Over 4 Months and its Top Non-Sports Adult 18-49 Number in More than 7 Months
In Viewers and Young Adults, the �Lost� Finale Produces ABC�s Strongest Non-Sports Numbers in the Time Period Since September
Surging from its Lead-in and Throughout its Telecast, ABC�s �Lost� Posts its Strongest Performance Against �Idol� This Season and the Series� Best Numbers Since February
Wednesday Night (8:00-11:00 p.m.)
Taking second to �Idol�-driven Fox on the night, ABC attracted its largest Wednesday night audience (14.5 million) in over 4 months and delivered its highest non-sports Adult 18-49 number (6.0/15) on the evening in over 7 months � since 1/11/06 and 10/12/05, respectively.
�Lost: Reckoning� (8:00-9:00 p.m.)
A replay of the �Lost: Reckoning,� a clip-show recapping the season, marked ABC�s top ratings in the time period in 4 months among Total Viewers (8.4 million) and Adult 18-49 (3.2/9). ABC earned second to Fox in the hour, opposite the first hour of the �American Idol� season finale.
�Lost� (9:00-11:00 p.m.)
Going up against the second hour of Fox�s �American Idol� season finale, ABC�s �Lost� doubled its lead-in, grew throughout its 2-hour telecast to attract an average audience of 17.6 million viewers and a 7.5 rating, 17 share in Adults 18-49 from 9:00-11:00 p.m. ABC�s �Lost� held second place to Fox�s �Idol� during the 9 o�clock hour, and then went on to rank a dominant No. 1 during the 10 o�clock hour, beating the combined deliveries of CBS and NBC by 3 million viewers (18.9 million vs. 15.9 million) and by 60% in Adults 18-49 (8.0/19 vs. 5.0/12).
� The sophomore season finale of �Lost� generated ABC�s biggest non-sports audience and top Adult 18-49 rating in the 2-hour time period since September 2005 � since 9/28/05 and 9/21/05, respectively. In Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, �Lost� marked its strongest performance of the season, when going head-to-head against �American Idol,� with the series� highest numbers in more than 3 months � since 2/15/06.
� Doubling its lead-in against �Idol,� �Lost� grew in each half-hour of its 2-hour telecast, gaining 3.3 million viewers (16.0 million to 19.3 million) and 19% and Adults 18-49 (6.8/16 to 8.1/20) from its first half-hour to its final half-hour.
� ABC�s �Lost� qualified as TV�s No. 1 scripted program on Wednesday in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49. The ABC sophomore series has been the top-rated scripted program on Wednesday in the key Adult 18-49 sales demographic in all 23 of its original telecasts this season.
Source: Nielsen Media Research (Fast Affiliate Ratings, Live+SD), 5/24/06.
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