Featuring its broadcast of The 51st Annual CMA Awards, ABC finished a dominant No. 1 on Wednesday night (Nov 9th), 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 No. 1 TV program, outdistancing runners-up CBS’ Survivor by 86% with viewers (14.3 million vs. 7.7 million from 8-9 pm) and Fox’s Empire by 78% with young adults (3.2/12 vs. 1.8/7 from 8-9 pm).

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 No. 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.

The red carpet and stage were filled with a lot of entertaining moments, to say the least. Below are some of our favorites moments and red carpet looks and performances.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BbQg0tFg0Gc/?taken-by=marenmorris

https://www.instagram.com/p/BbQcOKuhH6s/?tagged=lukebryan

https://www.instagram.com/p/BbQcOKuhH6s/?tagged=lukebryan

https://www.instagram.com/p/BbQon_JBY2W/?taken-by=_____dclynch_____

https://www.instagram.com/p/BbRn-sABCgA/?tagged=mirandalambert

https://www.instagram.com/p/BbQ36pIl61v/?taken-by=carlypearce

Performances

https://twitter.com/CountryMusic/status/928440761254690816

https://twitter.com/CountryMusic/status/928437990703095808

https://twitter.com/CountryMusic/status/928453844865990656