Fox Repeats Season Win in 18-49; CBS No. 1 in Total Viewers

The 2020-21 TV season has ended, and the results look very similar to last year: Fox is once again the most-watched broadcast network among the adults 18-49 demographic most coveted by advertisers, while CBS was No. 1 in total viewers for the 13th consecutive season. Yet in truth, none of the broadcasters have much reason to celebrate this season. All five networks saw double-digit drops in both the 18-49 demo and total viewers (the one exception was CBS, which was flat in the demo) as viewers increasingly abandoned linear TV for streaming options during the pandemic. The NFL is almost single-handedly responsible for the largest audiences: football games and various pre- and postgame programming accounted for all but two of the season’s Top 10 shows in the 18-49 demo. That said, season ratings also suffered because last year’s pandemic-related production shutdowns wiped out much of the fall season for broadcasters, as most shows weren’t up and running with new episodes until a couple months into the season. Fox was No. 1 with a 1.1 rating in the 18-49 demo, but its 35% drop from last season’s 1.7 rating was the largest among broadcasters. CBS and NBC tied for second, with a 1.0 (CBS was flat from last season; NBC dropped 23% from last year’s 1.3), followed by ABC with a 0.9 (a 12% decline from 1.1 last season) and The CW with a 0.2 (a 33% loss from last season’s 0.3). CBS averaged 6.19 million total viewers, coming out on top for the 13th season in a row, but lost 18% of last season’s audience (7.56 million). NBC was second with 5.24 million, off 19% from last season’s 6.45 million. ABC was in third place with 4.64 million (14% off from last year’s 5.39 million) and Fox was in fourth, with 4.18 million (down 32% from last year’s 6.2 million). The CW had 830,000 viewers, losing 20% from last season’s 1.04 million. All numbers reflect Nielsen’s “most current” ratings, which is live-plus-7 for the entire season except for the last two weeks, which are live-plus-same-day. With Broadcast’s Breadth and Tubi’s Depth, Fox Goes All-In on Ad-Supported in Upfront Most-watched shows NBC’s Sunday Night Football was once again the No. 1 broadcast primetime series in the demo (4.8 rating) and total viewers (16.7 million). (However, the handful of CBS NFL postgame specials that spilled into primetime last fall did rate higher, with 18.0 million, and was second in the demo with a 4.4 rating.) Thursday Night Football, which will move from Fox to Amazon in 2022, was No. 3 overall in the demo with a 3.9. The Masked Singer and This Is Us tied as the top entertainment programs in the demo with a 2.0 (ninth overall). The other Top 10 shows were all various NFL pregame and postgame shows. CBS’ Young Sheldon was the top comedy among adults 18-49 (24th overall, with a 1.2 rating) and was also most-watched in total viewers, averaging 9.5 million. Another CBS show, The Equalizer, which debuted after the Super Bowl, reigned as the No. 1 freshman series in both the demo (a 1.7 rating, tied with Grey’s Anatomy) and in total viewers (No. 7 overall, with 11.8 million). As for total viewers, NFL programming captured five of the top 10 slots, including Thursday Night Football (No. 3, with 13.4 million). But several CBS shows also made it in: NCIS (No. 5 overall, with 12.5 million), The Equalizer (No. 7 overall, with 11.8 million), FBI (in eighth place, with 11.0 million), 60 Minutes (ninth, with 10.7 million) and Blue Bloods (tied for 10th, with 10.2 million). NBC’s Chicago Fire tied for 10th, with 10.2 million. Looking back at the season rankings over the past decade proves just how much linear ratings have cratered in recent years. Fox won this season with a 1.1 demo rating, but would have ranked behind all of the big four broadcasters just two seasons ago—and is less than one-third of the 3.5 demo rating that the network had when it was on top in 2010-11. 2020-21 September-to-May Season Averages (through May 23) Adults 18-49 (rating, audience)Fox 1.1, 1.37 millionNBC 1.0, 1.31 millionCBS 1.0, 1.23 millionABC 0.9, 1.17 millionThe CW 0.2, 240,000 Total ViewersCBS 6.19 millionNBC 5.24 millionABC 4.64 millionFox 4.18 millionThe CW 830,000 The Big Four Broadcasters' 18-49 Season Rankings Over the Past Decade 2020-21Fox 1.1NBC 1.0CBS 1.0ABC 0.9 2019-20Fox 1.7NBC 1.3ABC 1.1CBS 1.0 2018-19NBC 1.6CBS 1.5Fox 1.5ABC 1.2 2017-18NBC 2.2CBS 1.5ABC 1.5Fox 1.5 2016-17NBC 2.1Fox 1.9CBS 1.8ABC 1.6 2015-16CBS 2.3NBC 2.1Fox 1.9ABC 1.8 2014-15NBC 2.4CBS 2.3ABC 2.2Fox 1.9 2013-14NBC 2.7Fox 2.5CBS 2.4ABC 2.1 2012-13CBS 2.9Fox 2.5NBC 2.4ABC 2.2 2011-12Fox 3.2CBS 3.0NBC 2.5ABC 2.4 2010-11Fox 3.5CBS 2.9ABC 2.5NBC 2.3

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Fox Repeats TV Season Victory in 18-49 Demo; CBS Continues Total Viewers Win Streak

Sunday Night Football, The Masked Singer, This Is Us among top shows

Jason Lynch

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Jason Lynch