Fall 2018 has declared a new ratings champion, and it is NBC, which has risen as the winner of the crucial battle. While that is excellent news for the Peacock Network, Fox has some good news of its own. It is the only network to gain viewers.
NBC remained on top in the ratings, with an average 2.2 rating in the key 18-49 demographic. Of the big 4 networks, Fox followed with an average demo rating of 2.0, which was then followed with CBS with a 1.4 and ABC with a 1.3. Fox had some good news in addition to coming in second in the ratings.
With regard to viewership, Fox did well this fall, as in really well. Fox was the only network to add viewers from this time last year, per THR. It saw viewership rise from 6.17 million to 7.14 million. The credit given for the improvement is the addition of Thursday Night Football, along with gains on Monday and Fridays.
What airs on those nights? Mondays on Fox get started with the medical drama The Resident. That series is followed by Ryan Murphy's high-octane procedural 9-1-1. The one-two punch of medical emergencies is helping revive Fox's ratings. Over on Friday nights, things are a little less dramatic.
Tim Allen's hit sitcom Last Man Standing opens the night. Following is the comedy The Cool Kids, which opens the gates to Hell's Kitchen. All told, this is a rather dynamic night that starts with laughs and ends with an intense reality show. Fox came in third in the ratings battle with a year-to-year increase of 16% in total viewers.
NBC tied with CBS for total viewers with both networks bringing in 8.99 million. While CBS and NBC tied for total viewers, CBS saw a much greater drop in viewers than its rival. NBC experienced a 2% decrease, whereas CBS felt a drop of 8.5%.
Remember, every other network besides Fox saw a drop. Accordingly, NBC and CBS were no different in viewership. However, NBC declined the least despite CBS having fan favorites ilke The Big Bang Theory and NCIS.
Over on NBC, freshman dramas Manifest and New Amsterdam helped the network rally to a ratings surge in their respective time slots. Each show gave NBC a boost over last year's performers. Another massive hit for the network is its Wednesday night lineup, which solely features the Chicago franchise.
For The CW, the news is grim. The superhero-friendly network saw its total viewers dive by a disconcerting 23%. Hence, all of its returning series saw fewer viewers tune in compared to last year. With that, The CW saw the highest drop in viewers, and it will be interesting to see if and how the network responds. It would be hard to ignore going forward. Maybe "Crisis On Infinite Earths" will help next fall!
The major networks are experiencing constant competition with themselves, as well as streaming platforms. Fox definitely proved it is a competitor this fall. CBS and NBC tied with 8.99 million total viewers. Comparatively, Fox pulled in a competitive 7.14 million. Next fall will tell more of the story. Fox is looking good at this point.
All of the major networks are preparing for the end of their shows' fall run. They will be back in the new year with more content.
