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Tuesday, May 28, 2019

TV Ratings: 90% of Broadcast Shows Decline


During the just complete 2018-19 TV season, only 10 percent (10 of 102) of veteran series increased or held steady with their same-day adults 18-49 rating from the 2017-18 season. The Hollywood Reporter's comparison includes same-day ratings for all original episodes of series that aired more than one episode in the 2018-19 season, including those coded as specials.

Only episodes that aired within the boundaries of the Nielsen-measured season (Sept. 24, 2018-May 22, 2019) are counted, which leaves out a handful of early-September football games and the odd early premiere.

That leaves 92 shows— just over 90 percent — that declined year to year in the key ad demographic. The declines range from minuscule (four hundredths of a point for top-rated Sunday Night Football) to huge (a 0.75-point drop for Will & Grace, which was off by half vs. its first revival season). A heavy majority of those declined by more than 10 percent.


A few more veteran shows, 18 in all, were able to increase their total audiences over 2017-18. Chicago Fire posted the biggest gains, growing by 2.12 million viewers while surrounded by its franchise mates on NBC. CBS' Bull (-3.91 million viewers) suffered the largest fall after moving to Mondays from the safe harbor of Tuesdays following NCIS (yet still improved its time period year to year). ABC's The Good Doctor also bled more than 3 million viewers.



Fox's The Masked Singer was the top-rated new show in adults 18-49 with a 2.59 rating. NBC's America's Got Talent: The Champions led newcomers in total viewers with 10.12 million, ahead of the 9.07 million for CBS' FBI.

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