or


[05/20/09 - 10:05 AM]
CBS Wins the 2008-2009 Television Season in Viewers and Places First in Adults 25-54
CBS spins the numbers for the May sweeps period and the season to date.
[via press release from CBS]

CBS WINS THE 2008-2009 TELEVISION SEASON IN VIEWERS AND PLACES FIRST IN ADULTS 25-54

CBS Is America's Most-Watched Network for the 6th Time in the Last 7 Years

CBS Is the Only Network To Post Yearly Gains in all Key Measures

"The Mentalist" Is Season's Only New Breakout Hit

In Season Six, "NCIS" Climbs to the #2 Drama of the Season (Only Behind "CSI")

CBS Has 7 of the Top 10 Dramas

CBS Dominates Comedy with Its #1 Monday Block

18 New and Returning Programs Post Time Period Increases in Adults 18-49 and in Adults 25-54

CBS Has More Time Period Winning Programs Than all the Other Networks Combined

CBS Wins the Monday-Friday 10:00 PM Time Period in Viewers, Adults 18-49 and Adults 25-54 Leading into Affiliate Late Local News

CBS Tops May Sweep in Viewers for the Seventh Consecutive Year

With one night remaining, CBS will win the 2008-2009 television season in viewers, its sixth victory in the past seven years, and also place first in adults 25-54 (projected tie with FOX), according to Nielsen most current ratings through Sunday, May 17.

On the strength of its new and returning comedies and dramas, as well as the continued success of its two reality staples, CBS is the ONLY network to post ratings gains over last season in all key measures: +12% in viewers, +3% in adults 18-49 and +8% in adults 25-54.

CBS also jumped from third to #1 in women 25-54 (4.6/11 from 4.3/10, +7%) and is the only network up in women 18-49 (3.5/09 from 3.3/09, +6%).

2008-2009 TELEVISION SEASON

(September 22, 2008-May 17, 2009)

08-09 07-08 % Change

Persons 2+

CBS 11.75m 10.52m +12%

NBC 7.88m 8.14m -3%

ABC 8.93m 9.25m -3%

FOX 9.70m 11.13m -13%

Adults 18-49

CBS 3.1/08 3.0/08 +3%

NBC 2.8/08 2.8/08 nc

ABC 2.9/08 3.0/08 -3%

FOX 3.6/10 4.2/10 -14%

Adults 25-54

CBS 4.1/10 3.8/09 +8%

NBC 3.2/08 3.3/08 -3%

ABC 3.4/08 3.6/09 -6%

FOX 4.1/10 4.6/11 -11%

CBS had the season's #1 drama/scripted program-CSI; #1 comedy-TWO AND A HALF MEN, #1 new series-THE MENTALIST and the #1 news magazine-60 MINUTES.

CBS dominated the season's rankings in both drama and comedy. The Network has seven of the Top 10 dramas-CSI (#1), NCIS (#2), THE MENTALIST (#3), CRIMINAL MINDS (#5), CSI: MIAMI (#7), CSI: NY (#9) and WITHOUT A TRACE (#10), all of which registered year-to-year gains and/or improved the time period.

Among comedies, CBS had five of the top six comedies-TWO AND A HALF MEN (#1), RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (#2), THE BIG BANG THEORY (#4), WORST WEEK (#5) and HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (#6).

CBS has 18 new and returning programs that have posted time period increases in adults 18-49 and in adults 25-54 vs. last year.

Among other CBS season highlights:

�More time period-winning programs than all the other networks combined in viewers (13) and more than any other network in adults 25-54 (10) and adults 18-49 (8).

�Four of the Top 10 programs of the season: CSI (#4), NCIS (#5), THE MENTALIST (#6) and TWO AND A HALF MEN (#10) and 11 of the Top 20.

�#1 in viewers on 3 nights (Thursday, Friday and Sunday) and #1 in A18-49 and A25-54 on 3 nights (Monday, Thursday and Friday).

�The #1 new series of the season-THE MENTALIST

�Every comedy in CBS's #1 comedy block posted year-to-year increases: THE BIG BANG THEORY (+19% in viewers, +12% in A18-49); HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (+15% in viewers, +18% in A18-49); TWO AND A HALF MEN (+10% in viewers, +6% in A18-49) and RULES OF ENGAGMENT (+5% in viewers and +2% in A18-49).

�In its sixth season, NCIS was up +26% in viewers and +27% in A18-49 and ranked as the No. 2 drama (second only to CSI).

�#1 in viewers and key demographics in the Monday-Friday 10:00 PM hour leading into affiliate late local news

�CBS won the May sweep in viewers for the 7th consecutive year and 8th in the last 9 years.

PRIMETIME

MAY 2009 SWEEP-TD: 25 DAYS

(4/23/09-5/17/09 vs. 4/24/08-5/18/08)

2009 2008 Chg

Persons 2+ (Millions)

CBS 10.64 #1 10.15 #1 +5%

NBC 6.21 #4 5.91 #4 +5%

ABC 8.57 #2 9.29 #2 -8%

FOX 8.25 #3 8.69 #3 -5%

Adults 25-54

CBS 3.5/09 #1T 3.5/09 #3 n.c.

NBC 2.4/06 #4 2.3/06 #4 +4%

ABC 3.2/08 #3 3.6/09 #1T -11%

FOX 3.5/09 #1T 3.6/10 #1T -3%

Adults 18-49

CBS 2.6/08 #2T 2.6/08 #3 n.c.

NBC 2.0/06 #4 1.9/05 #4 +5%

ABC 2.6/08 #2T 3.0/09 #2 -13%

FOX 3.0/09 #1 3.2/10 #1 -6%

Final 2008-2009 season and May sweep ratings will be released on Thursday.

IT'S OFFICIAL! CBS WINS THE 2008-2009 TELEVISION SEASON IN VIEWERS AND PLACES FIRST IN ADULTS 25-54

CBS Is America's Most-Watched Network for the 6th Time in the Last 7 Years

CBS Is the Only Network To Post Yearly Gains in All Key Measures

"The Mentalist" Is the Season's Only New Breakout Hit

In Season Six, "NCIS" Climbs to the #2 Drama of the Season (Only Behind "CSI")

CBS Has 7 of the Top 10 Dramas

CBS Dominates Comedy with Its #1 Monday Block

18 New and Returning Programs Post Time Period Increases in Adults 18-49 and in Adults 25-54

CBS Has More Time Period Winning Programs Than all the Other Networks Combined

CBS Wins the Monday-Friday 10:00 PM Time Period in Viewers, Adults 18-49 and Adults 25-54 Leading into Affiliate Late Local News

CBS Tops May Sweep in Viewers for the Seventh Consecutive Year

CBS won the 2008-2009 television season in viewers, its sixth victory in the past seven years, and also placed first in adults 25-54 (tie with FOX), according to Nielsen most current ratings for the 2008-2009 television season (9/22/08-5/20/09).

On the strength of its new and returning comedies and dramas, as well as the continued success of its two reality staples, CBS is the ONLY network to post ratings gains over last season in all key measures: +11% in viewers, +3% in adults 18-49 and +8% in adults 25-54.

CBS also jumped from third to #1 in women 25-54 (4.6/11 from 4.3/10, +7%), was the only network up in women 18-49 (3.6/09 from 3.4/09, +6%) and adults 18-34 (2.1/06 from 2.0/06, +5%).

2008-2009 TELEVISION SEASON

(September 22, 2008-May 20, 2009)

08-09 07-08 % Change

Persons 2+

CBS 11.76m 10.56m +11%

NBC 7.84m 8.11m -3%

ABC 8.95m 9.28m -3%

FOX 9.80m 11.26m -13%

Adults 18-49

CBS 3.1/08 3.0/08 +3%

NBC 2.8/07 2.8/08 nc

ABC 2.9/08 3.0/08 -3%

FOX 3.6/10 4.3/10 -16%

Adults 25-54

CBS 4.1/10 3.8/09 +8%

NBC 3.2/08 3.3/08 -3%

ABC 3.4/08 3.6/09 -6%

FOX 4.1/10 4.7/11 -13%

CBS had the season's #1 drama/scripted program-CSI; #1 comedy-TWO AND A HALF MEN, #1 new series-THE MENTALIST and the #1 news magazine-60 MINUTES.

CBS dominated the season's rankings in both drama and comedy. The Network has seven of the Top 10 dramas-CSI (#1), NCIS (#2), THE MENTALIST (#3), CRIMINAL MINDS (#5), CSI: MIAMI (#7), CSI: NY (#9) and WITHOUT A TRACE (#10), all of which registered year-to-year gains and/or improved the time period.

Among comedies, CBS had five of the top six comedies-TWO AND A HALF MEN (#1), RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (#2), THE BIG BANG THEORY (#4), WORST WEEK (#5) and HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (#6).

CBS has 18 new and returning programs that have posted time period increases in adults 18-49 and in adults 25-54 vs. last year.

Among other CBS season highlights:

�More time period-winning programs than all the other networks combined in viewers (13) and more than any other network in adults 25-54 (10) and adults 18-49 (8).

�Four of the Top 10 programs of the season: CSI (#4), NCIS (#5), THE MENTALIST (#6) and TWO AND A HALF MEN (#10) and 11 of the Top 20.

�#1 in viewers on 3 nights (Thursday, Friday and Sunday) and #1 in A18-49 and A25-54 on 3 nights (Monday, Thursday and Friday).

�The #1 new series of the season-THE MENTALIST

�Every comedy in CBS's #1 comedy block posted year-to-year increases: THE BIG BANG THEORY (+19% in viewers, +12% in A18-49); HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (+15% in viewers, +18% in A18-49); TWO AND A HALF MEN (+10% in viewers, +6% in A18-49) and RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (+5% in viewers and +2% in A18-49).

�In its sixth season, NCIS was up +26% in viewers and +27% in A18-49 and ranked as the No. 2 drama (second only to CSI).

�#1 in viewers and key demographics in the Monday-Friday 10:00 PM hour leading into affiliate late local news

�CBS won the May sweep in viewers for the 7th consecutive year and 8th in the last 9 years.

PRIMETIME

MAY 2009 SWEEP: 28 DAYS - FULL SWEEP

(4/23/09-5/20/09 vs. 4/24/08-5/21/08)

2009 2008 Chg

PERSONS 2+ (Millions)

CBS 10.86 #1 10.41 #1 +4%

NBC 6.10 #4 5.85 #4 +4%

ABC 8.78 #3 9.45 #3 -7%

FOX 9.28 #2 9.97 #2 -7%

ADULTS 25-54

CBS 3.6/10 #2 3.6/09 #2T n.c.

NBC 2.4/06 #4 2.2/06 #4 +9%

ABC 3.2/09 #3 3.6/09 #2T -11%

FOX 3.9/11 #1 4.2/11 #1 -7%

ADULTS 18-49

CBS 2.7/08 #2T 2.7/08 #3 n.c.

NBC 1.9/06 #4 1.9/05 #4 n.c.

ABC 2.7/08 #2T 3.0/09 #2 -10%

FOX 3.3/10 #1 3.7/11 #1 -11%





  [may 2009]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
     


· BIG BANG THEORY, THE (CBS)
· CRIMINAL MINDS (CBS)
· CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION (CBS)
· CSI: MIAMI (CBS)
· CSI: NEW YORK (CBS)
· HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (CBS)
· MENTALIST, THE (CBS)
· NCIS (CBS)
· RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (CBS)
· TWO AND A HALF MEN (CBS)
· WITHOUT A TRACE (CBS)
· WORST WEEK (CBS)




most recent ratings | view all posts
[11/14/25 - 10:30 AM]
"High Potential" Season 2 Premiere Scores Over 21 Million Total Viewers Across 35 Days
Season to date, the powerhouse drama continues to dominate, ranking as the No. 1 original broadcast series for the second season in a row among Adults 18-49 (2.42 rating), based on Nielsen cross-platform rankings.
[11/14/25 - 09:35 AM]
"Dancing with the Stars" Rises Week to Week with 6.67 Million Total Viewers as Show Heads to Semi-Finals
This marks the show's best performance for its last episode before the semi-finals among Total Viewers in six years and among Adults 18-49 in eight years.
[11/12/25 - 08:27 AM]
ABC Scores Top Game of the Week for the 10th Straight Week; "College GameDay" Posts Week 11 Growth and Record Season Rolls On
LSU-Alabama (7.5 million viewers) was the most-watched game of the week, followed by Texas A&M-Missouri (4.9 million) and BYU-Texas Tech (4.0 million) among the top five.
[11/11/25 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of November 3 - "Frankenstein" Comes to Life at No. 1 in This Week's Top 10
For more monsters, viewers turned to Season 4 of "The Witcher," putting the series at No. 1 on the English TV list with 7.4 million views.

[11/06/25 - 02:15 PM]
ABC News' "Nightline" Ranks No. 1 in Total Viewers and Adults 25-54
"Nightline" was up on the previous week by double digits in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49.
[11/05/25 - 09:39 AM]
"College GameDay" and ESPN College Football on ABC Win Week 10
Georgia-Florida led the week with 7.8 million viewers, marking the largest audience on record for this rivalry in a full national window.

[11/05/25 - 08:00 AM]
The NASCAR Xfinity Series Concludes First Full Year on The Cw Network with Most-Watched Season in Four Years
The championship race, which saw Jesse Love emerge as the season winner, drew 1,015,000 total viewers and peaked at 1,191,000 total viewers from 9:30-9:45pm ET.
[11/04/25 - 04:19 PM]
FOX Scores 7.19 Million Viewers for Penn State-Ohio State
Plus, Texas Tech's win over K-State earned 3,131,000 viewers on FOX - up +42% over last year's average of Big 12 games on the network.
[11/04/25 - 03:38 PM]
FOX Sports Wraps Unforgettable Postseason as Epic World Series Game 7 Delivers 27.3 Million Viewers
On FOX, the 11-inning Fall Classic conclusion peaked at 33,064,000 viewers from 11:45 PM-12:00 AM ET.
[11/04/25 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of October 27 - "Nobody Wants This" Season 2 Steals Hearts and the No. 1 Spot in Top 10
Those looking for a more magical and mature spooky-weekend watch indulged in the new season of "The Witcher," casting its spell at No. 2 on the English TV list with 7.4 million views.
[11/03/25 - 11:00 AM]
CBS Premiere Week Leads Live+7 Multiplatform Viewership with Television's #1 Show "Tracker" and Four of the Top Five Series
The network claimed 10 of the top 20 series, twice as many top 20 shows as the competition.
[11/03/25 - 05:11 AM]
25,984,000 Viewers Tuned in for the Dodgers Back-to-Back, Dramatic Clinch of the Fall Classic Across FOX, FOX Deportes and FOX Sports Streaming Services - The Most Since 2017
On FOX, World Series Game 7 peaked with 31,543,000 viewers from 11:30-11:45 PM ET.
[10/31/25 - 02:22 PM]
FOX Sports Hits 14.6 Million Viewers for Game 5 of the World Series
The telecast reached a peak viewership of 16,034,000 viewers on FOX between 10:00-10:15 PM ET.
[10/31/25 - 10:42 AM]
"Dancing with the Stars" Scares Up More Wins - Rising for Historic Sixth Week in a Row
"Dancing with the Stars" is the only fall show to increase its overall audience for six consecutive weeks following its season premiere.
[10/31/25 - 06:31 AM]
ESPN Networks Deliver Record College Football Viewership at the Midway Point of the Season, "College GameDay" Continues on Historic Run
Through nine weeks, ESPN networks are averaging 2.3 million viewers per game, their largest audience since 2009 and an increase of 20 percent year-over-year.