The final numbers are in for the 2020-21 broadcast-TV season, and this year was, as always, a touchdown for football fare.
NBC’s Sunday Night Football and Fox’s Thursday Night Football placed No. 1 and No. 2 for the season, with average ratings of 4.7 and 3.9 in the coveted 18-49 demographic (including Live+7 DVR playback data).
Fox’s The Masked Singer (with a 2.0 rating), NBC’s This Is Us (2.0) and ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy (1.9) rounded out broadcast’s Top 5.
IN THE 18-49 DEMO, among dramas, This Is Us and Grey’s were trailed by CBS freshman The Equalizer and Fox’s 9-1-1 (both which averaged a 1.7). On the sitcom side, with Modern Family now out of the mix, CBS’ Young Sheldon claimed the throne with a 1.2. It was followed by ABC’s The Conners (1.1) and six shows (including the cancelled Mom and American Housewife) that tied with a 0.9.
Of the Top 20 non-sports entertainment programs, NBC boasted six, followed by ABC and CBS (which six each, counting Big Brother‘s many nights as one) and Fox’s four.
IN TOTAL VIEWERS, CBS’ NCIS (averaging 12.6 million) repeated as the season’s most watched drama and was followed closely by The Equalizer (12. 1 mil), while the network’s Young Sheldon (with 9.5 million viewers) repeated as the most watched comedy. All told, CBS delivered nine of the Top 20 most watched entertainment programs, follows by NBC (six), Fox (three) and ABC (two).
Listed below are my hand-curated rankings for the broadcast networks’ assorted offerings; last season’s can be found here. Hit Comments to share what surprises, delights or depresses you.
Want scoop on any of these shows? Email InsideLine@tvline.com and your question may be answered via Matt’s Inside Line.
1. Young Sheldon, CBS (1.2 rating, including any available Live+7 DVR playback)
2. The Conners, ABC (1.1)
3 . American Housewife, ABC (0.9; cancelled)
3 (tie). Mom, CBS (0.9, cancelled)
3 (tie). The Goldbergs, ABC (0.9)
3 (tie). Family Guy, Fox (0.9)
In Total Viewers
Young Sheldon (9.5 million)
1. Call Me Kat, Fox (0.9, rating, including any available Live+7 DVR playback)
1 (tie). Young Rock, NBC (0.9)
2. B Positive, CBS (0.8)
2 (tie). Mr. Mayor, NBC (0.8)
3. Home Economics, ABC (0.7)
3 (tie). United States of Al, CBS (0.7)
In Total Viewers
United States of Al (5.9 million)
1. This Is Us, NBC (2.0 rating, including any available Live+7 DVR playback)
2. Grey’s Anatomy, ABC (1.9)
3. 9-1-1, Fox (1.7)
4. Chicago P.D., NBC (1.6)
5. 9-1-1: Lone Star, Fox (1.5)
5 (tie). Chicago Fire, NBC (1.5)
In Total Viewers
NCIS, CBS (12.6 million)
1. The Equalizer, CBS (1.7, rating, including any available Live+7 DVR playback)
2. Law & Order: Organized Crime, NBC (1.5)
3. Big Sky, ABC (1.1)
4. Clarice, CBS (0.8, fate TBD)
5. Transplant, NBC (0.7)
5 (tie). Rebel, ABC (0.7; cancelled)
5 (tie). Debris, NBC (0.7; cancelled)
In Total Viewers
The Equalizer (12.1 million)
1. The Masked Singer, Fox (2.0, rating, including any available Live+7 DVR playback)
2. The Bachelorette, ABC (1.8)
2 (tie). The Bachelor, ABC (1.8)
3. Big Brother (Sundays, Wednesdays, Thursdays), CBS (1.4)
4. I Can See Your Voice, Fox (1.3)
In Total Viewers
The Voice (Mondays), NBC (8.4 million)
1. Mom, CBS (0.9, rating, including any available Live+7 DVR playback)
1 (tie). American Housewife, ABC (0.9)
2. NCIS: New Orleans, CBS (0.8)
2 (tie). Last Man Standing, Fox (0.8).
2 (tie). Prodigal Son, Fox (0.8)
In Total Viewers
NCIS: New Orleans (7.2 million)
1. Sunday Night Football, NBC (4.7, rating, -20% year over year)
2. Thursday Night Football, Fox (3.9, -13%)
3. The Masked Singer, Fox (2.0, -37%)
3 (tie). This Is Us (2.0, -31%)
4. Grey’s Anatomy, ABC (1.9, -17%)
5. The Bachelorette, ABC (1.8, N/A)
5 (tie) The Bachelor, ABC (1.8, -25%)
6. The Equalizer, CBS (1.7, new)
6 (tie). 9-1-1, Fox (1.7, -26%)
7. Chicago P.D., NBC (1.6, -20%)
DROPPED OUT OF LAST YEAR’S TOP 10
Modern Family (ended), Survivor
1. Sunday Night Football, NBC (16.5 million, -18% year over year)
2. Thursday Night Football, Fox (13.4 million, -11%)
3. NCIS, CBS (12.6 million, -17%)
4. The Equalizer, CBS (12.1 million, new)
5. FBI, CBS (11 million, -13%)
6. 60 Minutes (10.7 million, +2%)
7. Chicago Fire, NBC (10.2 million, -13%)
8. Blue Bloods, CBS (10.2 million, -15%)
9. Chicago Med, NBC (9.7 million, -13%)
9 (tie) Chicago P.D., NBC (9.7 million, -13%)
DROPPED OUT OF LAST YEAR’S TOP 10
This Is Us, Young Sheldon
Want scoop on any of the above shows? Email InsideLine@tvline.com and your question may be answered via Matt’s Inside Line.
WHY cancel American Housewife when ratings are this strong? Something else must be a factor, behind the scenes someone not is telling us, Family shows and comedies are slowly going away and ABC use to be a factory of comedy shows, Now slowly going away. What a shame
It was due to that one actress whining that people weren’t kissing her behind enough.
Because Live+7 ratings don’t matter. Only Commercial+3 ratings matter which is closely aligned with Live ratings. It doesn’t matter who watches the shows but who watches the commercials.
Funny American Housewife was in the top yet cancel, way to go ABC
I’ve never seen a single episode of This Is Us or Grey’s Anatomy. Otoh, SNF, Young Sheldon, Masked Singer I have never missed. Same with the Chicago’s and Blue Bloods. My demo is 29 year old, queer professional, involved single. Soaps, day or night, just not for me bu enjoy to those who do.
So which network ‘won’ the season (I assume that means overall demo win, not total viewers?)? Just curious….re. NBC’s football show, if that was enough for the overall season win?
Fox won the season in the demo, followed by an ABC/NBC tie.
CBS led in total viewers, followed by NBC.
ABC will regret cancelling American Housewife or, at least, they would if there were a modicum of intelligence there. At least AH had several seasons, but when I think of ABC, I think of canceled great comedies: Better Off Ted, Happy Endings, The Kids Are Alright.
‘Single Parents’ too.
The Kids Are Alright was a network executive travesty of justice. Clean house, Disney, your current executives are ruining the network.
Please don’t let ratings talk die out…!! I was a kid looking at daily ratings since 04 and woah how the mighty have fallen over the course of my life… wow just wow.. but with showbuzzzdaily down TBD we have to keep the energy and timelessness when it comes to ratings they once used to be exciting and such now we’re at at baseless 0.7 that has no other place but up or down (laughs to self) ratings used to havr me amazed at a 12.6 .. or more modestly a 5.5 beating down a 3.3 then waiting for week two when there 3.8 and 1.9 … the TV ratings indo is on its last one… thank you for one hell of a ride on this wave … follow me on social media TikTok @SHAYBRUNO twitter @amerishay FB @shaybruno IG @shizzyshayy my rant is over
I’m wondering why your numbers are different than the ones I found at other sites. Also, will you be making a list that has ALL of the shows and how they did this year (like you did last year)? Thanks!
These numbers are the most recent that humanly exist.
No, we have never done a list of “all shows” (except sometimes a midseason status report. But that was pre pandemic).
It’s always about the 18-49 demos. When are the broadcast networks going to wake up? If all the 50+ viewers out there suddenly stopped buying the advertisers products, ALL of these shows would tank. Lots of executives would be fired. Lots of wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth.
I hope they are smart enough to keep the character William Bishop in The Equalizer, and just get another actor to do the job. The script writing is what wins the day in that series. The character combinations are great.