CBS has now above its level in all the demographic groups we track this season vs. last season. Of course, at this point last season, most of the networks were scrambling to air something besides dead air during the WGA strike, but none of the other networks has recovered to the extent that CBS has.
ABC while down vs. last season has begun to improve its year to year comparisons. That's likely to continue, the network just got crushed last spring during the strike. The CW remains significantly down vs. last season as well but also improved a bit since last week. With the deadweight of the Sunday collapse still weighing them down, they may not be able to make much progress vs. last season even though it was damaged by the WGA strike.
Fox improved a bit since last week, and NBC fell a bit since last week. Now that the Super Bowl has boosted NBC's season to date averages, just as it did Fox's last season, both of their comparisons on a season to season basis cannot be relied upon directly. I'm ignoring their absolute change from last season at this point, so should you.
Univision is up across the board vs. last season as is MyNetworkTV (MNT). They're up drastically over last season, thanks mainly to the addition of Friday Night Smackdown!. Note just their numbers, because their bars are truncated. The scale for the other networks would be useless if I adjusted the scale for them.
Our chart shows broadcast network prime-time season to date average prime-time viewership for the 2008-9 season compared to the 2007-8 season. Click the image for a full sized chart.
Nielsen TV Ratings Data: ©2009 The Nielsen Company. All Rights Reserved.
Kudos to CBS. I am a bit stunned that Fox is so low. Is that in part because Idol has just started? I’d expect a full AI season will bring them up a bit too.
I suppose it depends if “Ameriacn Idol” is up versus last season and i don’t think that is the case. So FOX will continue to be down year to year.
clutz, David, read the post, NBC’s comparison is up because of the Super Bowl, Fox’s comparison down because of the Super Bowl last year.
I think you’re being way too kind to the CW. The numbers for last season’s Sundays were an average of 1.0 and 0.4 (viewers/demo). This past Sunday was 1.1 and 0.4. I don’t really see Sunday as being the reason why the CW is down.
It’s down because new episodes of GOSSIP GIRL and ONE TREE HILL no longer pull over 3 million viewers and decent demos. ANTM doesn’t pull the numbers it once did either. Combine that with the loss of SMACKDOWN! and its 4.1M viewer average (over 2 hours) and its 1.4 demo average for 2 hours and you’ve got the real reason the CW is doing poorly.
With the weak strike ridden numbers there is really no excuse for the CW. The numbers for their shows are just down and their new shows bombed. Ask anyone at the CW and they’d be happy with VERONICA MARS numbers for a show now. That is how bad it is.
Kicking SMACKDOWN! to the curb was dumb.
Thanks Bill, I neglected to catch the Super Bowl factor. Now that I actually read the whole thing, it does look as if this particular week contains a Super Bowl anomaly.
Nick, I don’t disagree with you, but my writing clarity often leaves room for improvement. My comment on their Sunday was that it was a missed opportunity that would keep them from improving vs. last season because it was a washout this season as well, not that it was the only reason they were down from last season. Reality is, everything that Dawn put her hands on this season, the Sunday night MRC deal (that, frankly, they have not gotten beaten up enough for maybe because TV writers just don’t understand it), 90210, Priviledged, Stylista, increased GG promotion, has been a complete bust. The two shows that have done well Supernatural and Smallville have done so in spite of her inattention to them.
clutz, after reading the comments and thinking about it, I will figure out a way to “remove” the Super Bowl effect, however imperfect it may be, so that the NBC and Fox numbers aren’t entirely useless.
Bill, these numbers aren’t useless. Everything will average out over time
Bill, the NBC executives would like it if you please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please don’t.
Ugh. I’m pretty sure we’ve all heard my CBS rants by now so I won’t rant again…but seriously!!!!
At least NBC (the best network) is up 0.6% in 18-34 year olds…probably due to the superbowl. Stupid.