Final Broadcast Ratings: September 25, 2014

CBS and THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL may have won the night, but it was ABC that made big waves in the ratings.

 The new crime drama HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER (Murder 101 would have been a better title) was the top program of the night, after the football game, drawing 14.3 million viewers and an impressive 3.9 rating in Adults 18-49. It increased viewership from it's lead in by 18% and is now the #1 new show on TV.

Earlier on ABC, GREY'S ANATOMY and SCANDAL posted strong premiere numbers. GREY'S was up in viewership, from it's 2013 premiere, but is down 9% in the A18-49 ratings. SCANDAL is up year-to-year, by 1.6 million viewers and 8% in the demo. ABC may have found the right formula for Thursday nights, again, and could dominate the night once football leave at the end of October.

BONES' 10th season premiere felt the squeeze of the larger programs of the night. Just 6.3 million viewers and a 1.6 demo rating tuned in to the one remaining decently performing series on FOX. Year-to-year, BONES is down 1.4 million viewers and 30% in the A18-49 ratings. The lack of a lead out program didn't help matters, but GRACE POINT could help out, come October 2nd.

NBC, still struggling on the night, premiered the final season of PARENTHOOD, drawing 4.3 million viewers and a 1.4 demo rating. That is down from last year's 5.1 million viewers and 1.6 demo rating. Personally, I don't see how this series made it this long, despite being on NBC.

Final L+SD Network Averages:

ABC - 12.2 million viewers, 3.6 rating in A18-49

CBS - 15.0 million viewers, 5.5 rating in A18-49

CW - 0.6 million viewers, 0.2 rating in A18-49

FOX - 4.3 million viewers, 1.1 rating in A18-49

NBC - 4.4 million viewers, 1.3 rating in A18-49

Time	Net	Program	P+2*	A18-49	L+3^	L+7^
8:00	ABC	Grey's Anatomy	10.14	3.1	13.20(4.2)	13.90(4.5)
9:00	ABC	Scandal	12.16	3.9	15.60(5.0)	16.20(5.2)
10:00	ABC	How To Get Away With Murder	14.34	3.9	18.40(5.0)	19.00(5.2)
8:00	CBS	TNF Kick-Off	7.20	2.2
8:30	CBS	TNF (NYG v WAS)	16.29	6.0
8:00	CW	The Vampire Diaries [R]	0.61	0.2
9:00	CW	The Originals [R]	0.50	0.2
8:00	FOX	Bones	6.34	1.6	(2.2)	(2.3)
9:00	FOX	Sleepy Hollow [R]	2.28	0.6
8:00	NBC	The Biggest Looser	4.47	1.3	5.40(1.8)	5.60(1.9)
10:00	NBC	Parenthood	4.26	1.4	6.40(2.2)	6.80(2.4)

* - total viewers, in millions
^ - projected Live+3 and Live+7:
millions of viewers(18-49 demo rating)