CMA Awards Scores Nice Win For ABC

Featuring its broadcast of “The 51st Annual CMA Awards,” ABC finished a dominant #1 on Wednesday night, winning all six half-hours of prime in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49.

During primetime, ABC more than doubled its closest competition, leading CBS by 7.8 million viewers (+120% - 14.3 million vs. 6.5 million) and Fox by 113% in Adults 18-49 (3.2/12 vs. 1.5/6).  In fact, among Adults 18-49, ABC delivered the highest rating for any network on any night this season with entertainment programming.

ABC’s CMA Awards qualified as Wednesday’s definitive #1 TV program, outdistancing runners-up CBS’ “Survivor” by 86% with viewers (14.3 million vs. 7.7 million from 8-9pm) and Fox’s “Empire” by 78% with young adults (3.2/12 vs. 1.8/7 from 8-9pm).

The CMA Awards grew by double digits year over year with Total Viewers (+14% -14.3 million vs. 12.5 million) and Adults 18-49 (+10% - 3.2/12 vs. 2.9/9), drawing its biggest audience in three years – since 2014.

In viewers and young adults, ABC built to Wednesday season highs with its largest overall audience on the night in three years and its top Adult 18-49 rating with entertainment programming in two years - since 11/5/14 and 11/4/15, respectively.

During the three-hour live broadcast, #CMAawards trended #1 nationally on Twitter. Social listening impressions reached a staggering 4.56 billion. There was heavy conversation around the evening’s festivities as Facebook and Twitter interactions increased more than 600% from last year to over 5.2 million.