Inside TV put up a report on the state of affairs with the TV ratings of the network shows and it’s interesting numbers. Per the article, every network’s ratings except The CW, have declined in the adults 18-49 demographic. The drops include
- CBS: 12%
- ABC: 11%
- Fox: 8%
- NBC: 4%
- The CW: up 11%
The TV ratings chart below is ranked within the category of 18-49 year olds, and each averaged rating point represents approximately 1.3 million viewers.
I’m showing the top 10, then select shows that this site likes.
- American Idol Wednesday (Fox, 9.9 rating/26 share)
- American Idol Thursday (Fox, 8.2/22)
- NFL Sunday Football (NBC, 8.0/20)
- NFL Sunday Pre-kick (NBC, 5.6/15)
- Modern Family (ABC, 5.0/13)
- Overtime (Fox, 4.6/14)
- Grey’s Anatomy (ABC, 4.6/12)
- Two and A Half Men (CBS, 4.6/11)
- Dancing with the Stars (ABC, 4.6/11)
- The Big Bang Theory (CBS, 4.5/13)
- NCIS (CBS, 4.3/12)
- Survivor: Nicaragua (CBS, 4.3/12)
- Criminal Minds (CBS, 3.9/10)
- House (Fox, 3.9/10)
- The Biggest Loser (NBC, 3.4/9)
- Hawaii 5-0 (CBS, 3.4/9)
- CSI (CBS, 3.3/8)
- The Mentalist (CBS, 3.2/9)
- Wipeout Thursday (ABC, 3.2/9)
- CSI: Miami (CBS, 3.0/8)
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From what I’m seeing, these numbers represent only TV watching and there was no mention of online streaming of content, DVR viewing and other such methodologies of viewership capture. In fact the 18-49 year old categories are the most likely (in my opinion) to be migrating over to the online viewing of TV shows.
So even though your show isn’t on this list, it’s only a ranking of numbers for this point in time and only TV viewing.
We’ll see how the next season of TV adds up, though from things I’ve read in and around the internet, shows like Fringe and Human Target very well may not be returning next season. I hope those estimates are wrong. We’ll see.
For the complete list of shows, check out the Inside TV article.
Updated:
After this article went live, a reader emailed me with this great perspective:
Some of the younger people I work with have kept their Internet connections and all but eliminated their cable service. They have found ways of streaming their favorite shows over the Internet to their TV’s via a game box or blu-ray player. The newer TV’s have this ability built in now. Some of the shows are free and some cost a small pittance per show which is much cheaper than the premium I am paying for my cable service. The result is the younger viewers are more selective in what they watch and their viewing has decreased.
Granted, this is anecdotal based on my conversations with coworkers but I think it does suggest a trend. I feel like a dinosaur holding onto my cable service.
I have to agree with my Cinema Static reader. My film club, filled with folks who are not young, are also on that same bandwagon. They’re sick of loud commercials, of commercials fulling up more time per hour and the price of cable going up all the time. It’s a trend being pushed by TV viewers actually getting sick of the TV options when they see they now have other options.
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About Bruce Simmons
I've been writing newsletters since 1999. Of late, I've been focusing on the entertainment consumer angle on mostly the sci-fi, fantasy and action genres of TV, movies and books.
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