The most-watched TV programs in 2025 remained dominated by live sports, with NFL games leading across broadcast networks like NBC, CBS, ABC, and Fox. Sunday Night Football on NBC averaged nearly 19 million viewers, while Monday Night Football on ABC drew over 10 million.
Non-sports scripted shows saw strong performances from CBS procedurals like Tracker (averaging 11 million viewers, the top entertainment series) and Matlock (a hit new drama). ABC's High Potential tied closely with Tracker in multiplatform viewership (around 16.5 million per episode including streaming). CBS also excelled with comedies like Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage and Ghosts.
Tracker (CBS, starring Justin Hartley as Colter Shaw) is the top-watched scripted series on broadcast TV in 2025, virtually tied with ABC's High Potential as the most-viewed entertainment program (excluding sports and news) across multiplatform viewing (linear + streaming + timeshifted).Viewership Highlights (calendar year 2025, per Nielsen multiplatform data):
Cable news on Fox News dominated viewership among outlets like CNN and MSNBC (now rebranded as MS Now), with shows such as The Five (often 3-4 million viewers) leading primetime. Fox News averaged over 2.7 million primetime viewers for the year, outpacing competitors significantly.
Tracker (CBS, starring Justin Hartley as Colter Shaw) is the top-watched scripted series on broadcast TV in 2025, virtually tied with ABC's High Potential as the most-viewed entertainment program (excluding sports and news) across multiplatform viewing (linear + streaming + timeshifted).Viewership Highlights (calendar year 2025, per Nielsen multiplatform data):
- Averaged ~16.4–16.5 million viewers per episode (including 35-day delayed viewing and streaming on Paramount+).
- Linear viewership: ~11 million per episode.
- Streaming/DVR boost: Added ~5–6 million viewers per episode.
- Season 3 premiere (Oct. 2025): ~13 million in live+7 multiplatform.
- Season 2 averaged ~17.5 million in 35-day multiplatform (top broadcast drama).
Tracker consistently ranks #1 among broadcast scripted shows, outpacing CBS siblings like Matlock (16.1 million), Ghosts (8–9 million), and Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage (8 million). It led CBS to the top broadcast network spot in total viewers, with multiplatform data showing it rivaling streaming giants like Amazon's Reacher (18 million) and Netflix series.
Cable news on Fox News dominated viewership among outlets like CNN and MSNBC (now rebranded as MS Now), with shows such as The Five (often 3-4 million viewers) leading primetime. Fox News averaged over 2.7 million primetime viewers for the year, outpacing competitors significantly.
Other notable cable and broadcast highlights included reality staples like Survivor (CBS, ~6 million) and Dancing With the Stars (ABC, ~5-6 million), while Fox's animated lineup (e.g., The Simpsons, Bob's Burgers) held steady but lower.
Overall, CBS ranked as the top broadcast network in total viewers, followed by NBC and ABC, while Fox News was the leading cable network. Multiplatform (linear + streaming) data boosted scripted shows' numbers, with Tracker and High Potential emerging as 2025's standout broadcast hits.