Though some of ABC’s shows were in reruns last night, that didn’t stop them from beating some of the competition, particularly the sitcom originals on FOX. Via press release, the network has provided their take on the night’s ratings.

To see the week-to-week ratings trends, averages, rankings, and more, check out our ratings pages for these shows: Body of Proof, Last Man Standing, Cougar Town, and The River.

ABC’s Repeat/Original Comedies Top Fox’s Comedy Premieres from 8-9pm

Some early info on ABC’s Tuesday, ahead of the regular press release

At 8pm, ABC’s repeat Last Man Standing stood as the 2nd most-watched TV show over original competition, outdrawing Fox’s time-period premiere of Raising Hope by 15% and NBC’s original The Biggest Loser by 2%.

· The encore Last Man Standing produced sharp year-to-year gains for ABC in the half-hour in viewers (+31%) and young adults (+40%), over repeat programming on the year-ago night.

Building on its Adult 18-49 lead-in (+7%) at 8:30pm, ABC’s Cougar Town delivered 16% more Total Viewers than Fox’s time-slot premiere of I Hate My Teenage Daughter.

· Despite airing out of a repeat Last Man Standing this week, ABC’s Cougar Town saw its Viewer count grow week to week and equaled a season-high with Women 18-34.

During the 9 o’clock hour, ABC’s The River grew its overall audience week to week (+4%) and surged 27% to achieve a best-since-premiere number with Women 18-34.

Increasing from its lead-in by 12% at 10pm, ABC’s repeat Body of Proof ranked #2 in the hour, topping NBC’s Decision 2012 by 1.6 million viewers. In addition, the ABC repeat drama tied the NBC News program among Adults 25-54.

Quick Take for Tuesday, March 6, 2012 (Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings)

ABC’s Repeat “Last Man Standing” Outdraws Fox’s Slot Premiere of “Raising Hope”

Building its Overall Audience Week to Week, ABC’s “Cougar Town” Beats Fox’s Time Period Opener of “I Hate My Teenage Daughter” by 16%

ABC’s “The River” Gains Week to Week in Viewers and Achieves a Best-Since-Premiere Number with Women 18-34

ABC’s Repeat “Body of Proof” Tops NBC’s “Decision 2012” by 1.6 Million Viewers

“Last Man Standing” (8:00-8:30 p.m.)

At 8:00 p.m., ABC’s repeat “Last Man Standing” (5.5 million) stood as the 2nd-most-watched TV show over original competition, outdrawing Fox’s time-period premiere of “Raising Hope” by 15% (4.8 million) and NBC’s “The Biggest Loser” by 2% (5.4 million).

· The encore “Last Man Standing” produced sharp year-to-year gains for ABC in the half-hour in viewers (+31%) and young adults (+40%) over repeat programming on the year-ago night.

“Cougar Town” (8:30-9:00 p.m.)

Building on its Adult 18-49 lead-in (+7% – 1.5/4 vs. 1.4/4) at 8:30 p.m., ABC’s “Cougar Town” attracted 16% more Total Viewers than Fox’s time-slot premiere of “I Hate My Teenage Daughter” (4.4 million vs. 3.8 million).

· Despite airing out of a repeat “Last Man Standing” this week, ABC’s “Cougar Town” saw its Viewer count grow week to week and equaled a season high with Women 18-34.

“The River” (9:00-10:00 p.m.)

ABC’s “The River” grew its overall audience week to week (+4% – 4.2 million vs. 4.0 million) and surged 27% to achieve a best-since-premiere number with Women 18-34.

“Body of Proof” (10:00-11:00 p.m.)

Increasing from its lead-in by 12% at 10:00 p.m., ABC’s repeat “Body of Proof” ranked No. 2 in the hour, topping NBC’s “Decision 2012” by 1.6 million viewers (4.7 million vs. 3.1 million). In addition, the ABC repeat drama tied the NBC News program among Adults 25-54 (1.3/3).

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 43% currently, from 40% 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), 03/06/12.