Season TV Ratings: NBC, CBS Key Demo Winners

NBC and CBS were the season’s ratings winners in key demo categories, and Fox had the hottest new show in years, but the best story of the 2014-15 television season just might have belonged to ABC.

Top Shows 18-49

Variety reports the Alphabet emerged as the only major network to draw a larger young-adult audience this season than last, thanks in large part to a strong rookie class that included hits “How to Get Away With Murder” and “Black-ish” as well as other solid newcomers like “Fresh Off the Boat” and “Secrets and Lies.” “The Goldbergs” blossomed in in its second year, while veterans like “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Scandal,” “Modern Family” and “Shark Tank” also continued to produce.

CBS introduced new drama hit “Scorpion” and renewed four other first-year shows, while Fox launched megahit “Empire” and solid newcomer “Gotham” and the CW discovered its biggest hit to date, “The Flash.” NBC, on the other hand, was unable to find any new hits, with modestly rated drama “The Mysteries of Laura” its only show from this season to return in the fall.

Overall, according to Nielsen “most current” adults 18-49 estimates, the top three networks were closely bunched in all-program averages for the 2014-15 television season that ends Wednesday. Through Sunday, NBC led with a 2.40 rating/8 share, edging out CBS (2.32/7), with ABC another tick back (2.17/7) and Fox in fourth (1.95/6), down about 20% from last year when it aired both the Super Bowl and NFC Championship game.

NBC’s “Sunday Night Football,” despite plenty of lopsided games, was again the No. 1 primetime broadcast series in all key demos and the most-watched series overall in same-night viewership.

The Peacock benefited from airing the Super Bowl, and that’s what pushed it past the Eye for the season’s 18-49 crown; with the Super Bowl removed from NBC’s averages, CBS would have prevailed by a tenth (2.35 vs. 2.25). And if all sports were removed, ABC (the only Big Four network that doesn’t air NFL games) would have narrowly finished on top (2.2 to 2.1 for CBS).

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