TV viewership has changed dramatically over the last decade, this much you know. Where we watch, how we watch, and what we watch have all undergone transformational shifts. There is also a lot more stuff to watch.
CBS would like you to know, however, that compared to the 2003-2004 season the network has increased its viewership by +3%.
CBS created this chart that compares the current 2014-2015 season — including live TV viewing, DVR, video-on-demand and online streaming — with the 2003-2004 season, when viewing was simpler. Time shifting, on-demand and online viewing, such as it was, was not measured then.
This season CBS is averaging 13,730,881 viewers. In 2003-2004, the network averaged 13,384,008. As for the top CBS shows now, and then: “CSI” was tops then, drawing more than 27.2 million viewers. This season’s No. 1, “Big Bang Theory,” averages 23.1 million. (“CSI” this season is down -56% from its heyday 11 seasons ago.)
As for the newsmagazines, “60 Minutes” is down -10% and “48 Hours” is down -25%. Also interesting to note, “60 Minutes II” (which was canceled in Sept. 2005) averaged a respectable 10.2 million viewers.
