This may be the closest we’ve gotten yet to seeing an apples-to-apples ranker of what TV viewers really are watching these days, regardless of platform. Nielsen is concluding the first season that we have a full list of how entertainment fare (sorry, no sports here or series lasting less than four episodes) is performing on multiple platforms after 35 days — via over-the-air, on demand or streaming.
And here’s the good news for broadcast: People are still watching a lot from the old school medium. Especially on CBS. The network landed six slots on the list of the 20 most-watched series among total viewers across the board: “Tracker,” “Matlock,” “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage,” “Ghosts,” “Elsbeth” and “Watson.” (This counts views on CBS, via DVR, on its website or on Paramount+.) ABC is the only other broadcast network in the top 20, with two.
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No surprise, Netflix dominates the top 20, with ten (or really, 9.5, as it shares one with YouTube) shows among the total viewers tally— led by “Squid Game,” which at 27.1 million viewers, towers over everything else.
But the fact that broadcast landed three shows in the top five isn’t bad — besides “Tracker” and “Matlock,” that also includes ABC’s “High Potential.”
Among just the broadcast networks, CBS leads with and average of 9.1 million viewers in broadcast+streaming, followed by NBC (7.2 million), ABC (6.9 million) and Fox (4.3 million). Remember, this doesn’t include sports, or those numbers would look way higher.
When just looking at broadcast, CBS holds 11 of the top 20 primetime series, followed by ABC with six.
Here are the rankers, as shared by CBS (timed to its fall programming announcement, set to be revealed later today):
2024/2025 Season-To-Date Broadcast and Streaming Ranker, Total Viewers (35-Day Multiplatform)
Rank | Title (Network/SVOD) | Total 35-Day Viewing |
1. | Squid Game (Netflix) | 27.1 million |
2. | Adolescence (Netflix) | 19.0 million |
3. | Reacher (Amazon Prime) | 18.1 million |
4. | Tracker (CBS) | 17.5 million |
5. | Matlock (CBS) | 16.1 million |
tie | High Potential (ABC) | 16.1 million |
7. | Monsters: The Lyle & Erik Menendez Story (Netflix) | 15.7 million |
tie | Zero Day (Netflix) | 15.7 million |
9. | Nobody Wants This (Netflix) | 15.2 million |
10. | Landman (Paramount+) | 15.0 million |
11. | The Night Agent (Netflix) | 14.8 million |
12. | American Primeval (Netflix) | 13.8 million |
13. | Running Point (Netflix) | 13.1 million |
14. | A Man on the Inside (Netflix) | 12.4 million |
15. | Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage (CBS) | 12.1 million |
tie | Ghosts (CBS) | 12.1 million |
17. | Will Trent (ABC) | 11.6 million |
18. | Elsbeth (CBS) | 11.5 million |
tie | Watson (CBS) | 11.5 million |
tie | 1923 (Paramount+) | 11.5 million |
tie | Ms. Rachel (Netflix/YouTube) | 11.5 million |
2024-2025 Season-To-Date Primetime Programming Broadcast Ranker, Total Viewers (35-Day Multiplatform)
Rank | Title (Network) | Broadcast+Streaming |
1. | Tracker (CBS) | 17.5 million |
2. | Matlock (CBS) | 16.1 million |
tie | High Potential (ABC) | 16.1 million |
4. | Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage (CBS) | 12.1 million |
tie | Ghosts (CBS) | 12.1 million |
6. | Will Trent (ABC) | 11.6 million |
7. | Elsbeth (CBS) | 11.5 million |
tie | Watson (CBS) | 11.5 million |
9. | 9-1-1 (ABC) | 11.2 million |
10. | Shifting Gears (ABC) | 11.1 million |
11. | The Rookie (ABC) | 10.7 million |
12. | FBI (CBS) | 10.6 million |
tie | NCIS (CBS) | 10.6 million |
14. | Blue Bloods (CBS) | 10.1 million |
15. | Chicago PD (NBC) | 9.8 million |
16. | Chicago Med (NBC) | 9.7 million |
17. | Fire Country (CBS) | 9.6 million |
18. | NCIS: Origins (CBS) | 9.4 million |
19. | Chicago Fire (NBC) | 9.2 million |
20. | Abbott Elementary (ABC) | 8.9 million |
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