CW Spins The Opening Night Ratings Numbers For 90210 And Melrose Place

The CW kicked off its new season with solid debuts for 90210 and MELROSE PLACE, especially among the network’s target demographic of women 18-34, according to preliminary live plus same day Nielsen ratings for Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009. With The CW benefiting greatly from time-shifted viewing last season, Live+7 day DVR data for the 90210 and MELROSE PLACE premieres will be available from Nielsen on September 28.

The second season debut of 90210 delivered The CW’s best performance in the Tuesday 8-9pm time period since February among women 18-34 (2.6/8), adults 18-34 (1.7/6) and adults 18-49 (1.3/4). 90210 also scored the show’s largest audience (2.6mil) since January 6, 2009.

The 90210 season premiere improved compared to how the show finished its first season in May. Versus its May average, 90210 was up 8% with women 18-34, 13% in women 18-49 (1.8/5), 13% in adults 18-34, 18% in adults 18-49 and 30% in total viewers. The 90210 premiere built at the half hour in every key demographic.

90210 ranked second in the hour among women 18-34 and females 12-34 (2.3/8), behind only Fox. The MELROSE PLACE premiere faced an even more competitive time period of all original programming and finished second with women 18-34 (2.5/7), behind only CBS‘s Big Brother.

MELROSE PLACE clearly is the perfect companion for 90210 as MELROSE PLACE held 96% of its lead-in with women 18-34, 88% in adults 18-34 (1.5/5), 100% in both adults 18-49 (1.3/3) and women 18-49 (1.8/5).

The MELROSE PLACE series premiere improved 9% in women 18-34, 7% in adults 18-34 and %8 in adults 18-49 compared to the premiere of Privileged in the time period a year ago. In fact, Melrose Place’s women 18-34 performance out-delivered every Privileged telecast in the time period last year and all but two 90210 telecasts (the second hour of last year’s series premiere and the May 12, 2009 telecast).

The season debut of 90210 and the series premiere of MELROSE PLACE led several of The CW’s top stations to first place in their markets on Tuesday night in the network’s target demo of women 18-34, including New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Houston, Tampa, Miami and Baltimore.