'Arrow,' 'Flash' start strong at CW

The third season premiere of "Arrow" (8 p.m. Wednesday) was right on target for The CW, up 13 percent in adults 18-34 (0.9/4), 11 percent in adults 18-49 (1.0/3), and 2 percent in total viewers (2.79 million) versus last season's debut, according to preliminary Live Plus Same Day Nielsen ratings.

Among men, "Arrow" boasted a 25 percent increase versus last year's premiere in men 18-34 (1.0/4).

"Arrow" scored its most watched and highest-rated episode in adults 18-49 and in adults 18-34 since Feb. 5.

"Arrow" also soared over last season's finale (May 14), up 18 percent in total viewers, 29 percent in adults 18-34, and 11 percent in adults 18-49.

"Arrow" out-rated NBC in the hour in adults 18-34, and was No. 2 in the hour among men 18-34, behind only CBS.

Looking at the average Live + 7 Day delayed viewing for "Arrow" last season, last night's premiere is estimated to gain 47 percent in total viewers, 46 percent in A18-34, and 56 percent in A18-49, versus L+SD ratings.

"The Flash" debut, meanwhile, scored the most watched telecast of any CW series since 2009

Tuesday's series debut (8 p.m.) marked The CW's most watched (4.79 million) and highest-rated series premiere in adults 18-49 (1.9/6) in more than five years, since "The Vampire Diaries" bowed in 2009, according to national Live Plus Same Day Nielsen ratings for Tuesday.

"The Flash" is The CW's second most watched series premiere ever, behind only "The Vampire Diaries," and is the network's third highest-rated series premiere ever in adults 18-49, following only "The Vampire Diaries" and "90210."

In fact, "The Flash" debut was the most watched telecast of any CW show since the series premiere of "The Vampire Diaries" on Sept. 10, 2009.

Competitively, "The Flash" ranked second in its 8-9 p.m. time period among adults 18-34 (1.6/6), behind only NBC, and beat both ABC and FOX in total viewers. For the night overall, The CW ranked No. 2 in adults 18-34 (1.3/5) and topped ABC and FOX with adults 18-49 (1.5/5).

"The Flash" premiere posted The CW's largest audience in the Tuesday-at-8 p.m. hour in more than seven years ("Gilmore Girls" series finale on May 15, 2007), and best adults 18-49 in the hour in more than six years ("90210" on Sept. 2, 2008). "The Flash" scored the network's best ever performance in the time period in men 18-34 (1.9/8).

In the local markets, "The Flash" ranked No. 1 in its time period among adults 18-34 in New York, Chicago, Charlotte, Houston, Detroit, Miami, San Francisco, Cleveland, Baltimore and Dallas, and also No. 1 in adults 18-49 in New York, Chicago, Charlotte and Orlando.

The Live+7 projections estimate "The Flash" will add an additional 28 percent in total viewers, 35 percent in adults 18-34, and 36 percent in adults 18-49.