ABC's 'Concert for the Queen' Tops Premieres on NBC and FOX

via press release:

ABC’s “Concert for the Queen: A Diamond Jubilee Celebration with Katie Couric”

Makes it the Most-Watched Non-Sports Network in its 2-Hour 9-11pm Time Period

With “Concert for the Queen: A Diamond Jubilee Celebration with Katie Couric”

And “20/20: The Jubilee Queen with Katie Couric” the Prior Week, ABC Generates

Its Two Largest Non-Sports Summertime Audiences in the Time Period in 2 Years

“Concert for the Queen: A Diamond Jubilee Celebration with Katie Couric” (9:00-11:00 p.m.)

More than doubling its lead-in (+119%) at 9:00 p.m. opposite premieres on NBC (2-hour “Love in the Wild”) and Fox (“MasterChef”), ABC’s 2-hour “Concert for the Queen: A Diamond Jubilee Celebration with Katie Couric” (6.8 million) made ABC the most-watched non-sports network in the time slot (ESPN carried the high-rated Eastern Conference Finals NBA Playoff Game 5).

• From 9:00-10:00 p.m., ABC’s “Concert for the Queen” (6.4 million) outdrew the opening hour of NBC’s “Love in the Wild” season premiere by 1.0 million viewers (5.4 million) and Fox’s new time-period premiere of “MasterChef” by 1.6 million viewers (4.8 million). Gaining audience from its first hour to its second hour (+13% - 6.4 million to 7.2 million), the ABC special ranked a definitive No. 1 over its rivals from 10:00-11:00 p.m., topping CBS’ “48 Hours Mystery” by 1.5 million viewers (5.7 million) and the second hour of NBC’s “Love in the Wild” premiere by 2.6 million viewers (4.6 million).

• “Concert for the Queen: A Diamond Jubilee Celebration with Katie Couric” generated ABC’s 2nd-largest non-sports summertime audience (Memorial Day-Labor Day) in the time slot in over 2 years (since 6/1/10), behind only the prior week’s “A Special Edition of 20/20: The Jubilee Queen with Katie Couric.”  In addition, “Concert for the Queen” boosted its 2-hour time period by 29% week to week with Adults 18-34.

A note about increasing DVR penetration and year-to-year rating comparisons: Year-to-year rating comparisons based on the Live + Same Day data stream are distorted by the level of DVR penetration in the Nielsen sample, which has jumped up to 44% currently, from 41% at the same point in 2011. More viewers are watching shows on their own timetables, which may not be reflected in the overnight next day numbers. The only truly valid year-to-year comparison would be one based on the Live + 7 Day metric, once those stats are released by Nielsen.

Source: The Nielsen Company (Fast Affiliate, Live + Same Day Ratings), 06/05/12.