The 100 Most-Watched TV Shows of the 2016-17 Season
Our complete ratings ranker of the top 100 shows on broadcast and cable TV.
It feels a bit antiquated to talk about ratings in 2017, when much of the television business remains transfixed on the streaming services – and it’s become accepted that Netflix and its competitors are never going to share any viewership data.
As viewers migrate to other platforms, ratings just tell part of the story. The numbers have become so deflated that CBS felt the need to point out in January that if you looked at “Live + 35” data that included more than a month’s worth of TV, DVR, VOD and streaming viewership, the network’s primetime entertainment series average is actually up vs. 16 years ago (when only live viewing was measured).
“We really need to make sure that we are finding a way to capture all the views and the viewers of our programs in this multi-platform landscape,” said ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey. “There is, at this point, no truly effective system to really capture all the views that are happening in a timely manner. If we can’t figure that out, particularly as a broadcast business, that’s going to be a big issue for us.”
For now, at least, this is what we have to go on, and last year’s leaders – Football, “The Walking Dead” and “The Big Bang Theory” – remain this year’s primetime winners. But they’re all on the decline – which, of course, is the story of linear TV in general.
READ MORE:
— LAST YEAR: These Are the 100 Most-Watched TV Shows of the 2015-16 Season
— Most-Watched Television Networks: Ranking 2016’s Winners and Losers
— Top-Rated Telecasts of 2016: ‘The Walking Dead,’ Super Bowl, Oscars, Olympics Lead
IndieWire looked at the Season-to-Date rankers for broadcast and cable, using the most recent Live+7 ratings (which include seven days’ worth of DVR and video on-demand usage). Here’s a final look at some of the hits and misses of 2016–2017, followed by our complete list of the most-watched shows of the season, according to both adults 18-49 and total viewers.
Ron Batzdorff/NBC
HIGHS
“This Is Us” and “Bull”: NBC and CBS both get new series bragging rights, depending on which measurement you’re looking at. NBC’s “This Is Us” was the darling of the TV season, and for good reason: It’s both the top-rated new series among adults 18-49 (4.8 rating – which in 2017 numbers, means it’s a force) and is now the top-rated broadcast drama, edging out “Empire.” CBS made sure to point out at its recent upfront presentation, however, that “Bull” is actually the year’s most-watched new TV series among total viewers, with 15.5 million to “This Is Us” at 15.3 million.
“The Bachelor,” “American Horror Story” and “South Park”: Three veteran shows, late in their run, actually improving year-to-year in the adults 18-49 demo? Virtually impossible. But “The Bachelor” (3.1 rating, up from 3.0), “American Horror Story” (3.4, up from 3.3) and “South Park” (1.8, from 1.7) made it so. Of course, those gains were small, and the larger story remains how viewers are moving from their TV screens to other devices… but these three shows are bucking the trends.
“60 Minutes” and “The Simpsons”: Sunday night stalwarts “60 Minutes” and “The Simpsons” also achieved virtually the impossible: They were flat year-to-year in the demo. And as we all know, “flat” is the new “up.” Both shows had reason to stay relevant: “60 Minutes” had a presidential election to wrap itself around, while “The Simpsons” made headlines with its 600th episode (!) and cool events like a virtual reality couch gag.
CBS
LOWS
Football, “The Walking Dead” and “The Big Bang Theory”: OK, hold on – don’t cry for any of these series, as they’re all still the most dominant programs on TV. But they’re all still subject to gravity. AMC’s “The Walking Dead” remains by far a dominant No. 1 among adults 18-49 (8.0 rating). No one comes close. “The Big Bang Theory” is the most-watched scripted show (19 million) and the top-rated scripted broadcast show among adults 18-49 (4.9 rating). And on the total viewers side, NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” (20.1 million) towers over all. But when you’re the biggest in the land, it also means the drop is more pronounced. And as great as those numbers are, they’re substantial declines from last year. The NFL’s drops were across the board, impacting “Thursday Night Football” and “Monday Night Football” as well.
“24: Legacy,” “Hunted,” “2 Broke Girls” and “The Great Indoors”: One of these shows will ultimately be deemed the highest-rated series of the year to still be canceled. Fox hasn’t yet announced the fate of “24: Legacy” (punting the decision while star Corey Hawkins appears on Broadway), while CBS also hasn’t made a determination on reality series “Hunted.” Should either “24: Legacy” (2.1 rating) or “Hunted” (2.0) be canned, they’ll get the honors. But for now, that leaves the Joel McHale sitcom “The Great Indoors” and the long-running “2 Broke Girls,” both of which have most definitely been canceled, as the top-rated (1.8) ax so far. (NBC’s “Timeless” would have received these honors, until its two-days-later reprieve.)
“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” and “No Tomorrow”: You must be enjoying The CW’s “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” on other platforms, because for the second year in a row it was the lowest-rated broadcast network series (0.3 rating), tied with “No Tomorrow,” which won’t be having any more tomorrows. It’s a reminder again that The CW isn’t run based on ratings, given its output deals.
Here are the top series rankers according to adults 18-49 and total viewers, featuring seven days of time-shifted viewing. Most recent data is through May 14; these ratings will be updated as new numbers come in.
TOP 100 SHOWS, ADULTS 18-49
America’s most-watched series of the 2016-2017 season in the key advertising demographic (measured in ratings points) are …
1 |
The Walking Dead AMC |
8.0 |
2 |
NFL Sunday Night Football NBC |
6.9 |
3 |
NFL Thursday Night Football NBC/NFL Network |
5.2 |
4 |
NFL Thursday Night Football CBS/NFL Network |
5.0 |
5 |
The Big Bang Theory CBS |
4.9 |
6 |
This Is Us NBC |
4.8 |
7 |
Empire Fox |
4.3 |
8 |
NFL Monday Night Football ESPN |
3.9 |
9 |
Modern Family ABC |
3.7 |
10 |
Grey’s Anatomy ABC |
3.5 |
11 |
American Horror Story FX |
3.4 |
12 |
The Bachelor ABC |
3.1 |
13 |
The Voice (Monday + Tuesday) NBC |
3.0 |
14 |
Designated Survivor ABC |
2.9 |
15 |
How To Get Away With Murder ABC
Scandal ABC |
2.6 |
17 |
Survivor CBS Talking Dead AMC NCIS CBS Chicago Fire NBC The Goldbergs ABC |
2.5 |
22 |
Law & Order: SVU NBC Criminal Minds CBS Black-ish ABC Lethal Weapon Fox Chicago PD NBC |
2.4 |
27 |
Bull CBS Kevin Can Wait CBS Speechless ABC |
2.2 |
30 |
The Simpsons Fox
American Housewife ABC The Middle ABC Dancing With the Stars ABC The Blacklist NBC Timeless NBC Chicago Med NBC 24: Legacy Fox Love & Hip Hop Atlanta 6 VH1 |
2.1 |
39 |
Scorpion CBS Star Fox Hunted CBS Family Guy Fox |
2.0 |
43 |
Life in Pieces CBS Mom CBS The Good Place NBC NCIS: New Orleans CBS The Flash The CW Gotham Fox Saturday Night Football ABC |
1.9 |
50 |
Lucifer Fox Blue Bloods CBS The Great Indoors CBS The Mick Fox NCIS: Los Angeles CBS Blindspot NBC Hawaii Five-O CBS 60 Minutes CBS South Park Comedy Central Prison Break Fox Little Big Shots NBC |
1.8 |
62 |
Love and Hip Hop 7 VH1
Superstore NBC Last Man Standing ABC Shark Tank ABC Fresh off the Boat ABC Code Black CBS The Wall NBC |
1.7 |
69 |
Thursday Night Football NFL Network (without CBS or NBC) Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ABC MacGyver CBS Hell’s Kitchen Fox Chicago Justice NBC New Girl Fox Real Housewives of Atlanta Bravo Better Call Saul AMC Gold Rush Discovery Man With a Plan CBS Teen Mom II (Season 7B) MTV Love & Hip Hop Hollywood 3 VH1 |
1.6 |
81 |
Son of Zorn Fox The Amazing Race CBS Once Upon a Time ABC Westworld HBO |
1.5 |
85 |
Masterchef Junior Fox Superior Donuts CBS Notorious ABC The Last Man on Earth Fox Bones Fox Shades of Blue NBC Street Outlaws Discovery Grimm NBC Pure Genius CBS Brooklyn Nine-Nine Fox Quantico ABC Secrets and Lies ABC Into the Badlands AMC Teen Mom (Season 6+6B) MTV Pitch Fox |
1.4 |
100 |
Bob’s Burgers Fox Madam Secretary CBS Celebrity Apprentice NBC Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Bravo Taken NBC Curse of Oak Island History The Odd Couple CBS Vikings History Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders CBS The Real O’Neals ABC Chrisley Knows Best USA WWE Raw USA Supergirl The CW APB Fox |
1.3 |
Source: Nielsen Media Research, 2016-2017 season to date through May 14, 2017, in ratings points. Nielsen prelim Live+7 Day, Prime, Originals only, Programs with majority of telecasts airing in season, Top 100 ranked on A18-49 rating. Excludes: Repeats, Specials, Post-Season Sports, Pre/Post Sports Commentary, Mini-Series (<5 telecasts in season) and News. |
TOP 100 SHOWS, TOTAL VIEWERS
America’s most-watched series of the 2016-2017 season are …
1 |
NFL Sunday Night Football NBC |
20.1 |
2 |
The Big Bang Theory CBS |
19.0 |
3 |
NCIS CBS |
18.4 |
4 |
NFL Thursday Night Football NBC/NFL Network |
17.1 |
5 |
The Walking Dead AMC |
16.4 |
6 |
Bull CBS |
15.5 |
7 |
This Is Us NBC |
15.3 |
8 |
NFL Thursday Night Football CBS/NFL Network |
14.8 |
9 |
Blue Bloods CBS |
14.1 |
10 |
NCIS: New Orleans CBS |
13.4 |
11 |
Dancing with the Stars ABC The Voice (Monday) NBC 60 Minutes CBS |
12.6 |
14 |
NCIS: Los Angeles CBS The Voice (Tuesday) NBC |
12.5 |
16 |
Hawaii Five-O CBS |
12.2 |
17 |
Designated Survivor ABC |
12.1 |
18 |
NFL Monday Night Football ESPN |
11.5 |
19 |
Grey’s Anatomy ABC Empire Fox |
11.2 |
21 |
Madam Secretary CBS |
11.1 |
22 |
Criminal Minds CBS |
10.9 |
23 |
Modern Family ABC |
10.8 |
24 |
Chicago Fire NBC Scorpion CBS |
10.7 |
26 |
Survivor CBS |
10.5 |
27 |
Little Big Shots NBC |
10.3 |
28 |
Chicago PD NBC |
10.1 |
29 |
Chicago Med NBC |
9.9 |
30 |
MacGyver CBS |
9.8 |
31 |
The Blacklist NBC |
9.7 |
32 |
Mom CBS |
9.4 |
33 |
Kevin Can Wait CBS
Code Black CBS Lethal Weapon Fox |
9.2 |
36 |
The Bachelor ABC |
9.0 |
37 |
Law & Order: SVU NBC |
8.8 |
38 |
Scandal ABC |
8.6 |
39 |
Chicago Justice NBC |
8.5 |
40 |
The Great Indoors CBS |
8.4 |
41 |
Last Man Standing ABC |
8.3 |
42 |
Life in Pieces CBS |
8.2 |
43 |
Timeless NBC |
8.0 |
44 |
Pure Genius CBS How To Get Away With Murder ABC |
7.9 |
46 |
The Middle ABC The Goldbergs ABC |
7.8 |
48 |
Elementary CBS |
7.6 |
49 |
Man with a Plan CBS |
7.5 |
50 |
Blindspot NBC Black-ish ABC |
7.4 |
51 |
24: Legacy Fox Superior Donuts CBS Hunted CBS |
7.3 |
54 |
Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders CBS Shades of Blue NBC |
7.1 |
56 |
American Housewife ABC 2 Broke Girls CBS Speechless ABC |
7.0 |
59 |
Taken NBC |
6.9 |
60 |
Doubt CBS |
6.8 |
61 |
Shark Tank ABC The Wall NBC |
6.6 |
63 |
Undercover Boss CBS |
6.5 |
64 |
The Amazing Race CBS |
6.4 |
65 |
American Horror Story FX |
6.3 |
66 |
Blacklist: Redemption NBC |
6.2 |
67 |
Notorious ABC Lucifer Fox Grimm NBC |
6.1 |
70 |
Saturday Night Football ABC The Good Place NBC The Odd Couple CBS Star Fox |
6.0 |
74 |
Dateline Friday NBC |
5.9 |
75 |
Conviction ABC |
5.7 |
76 |
Bones Fox America’s Funniest Home Videos ABC Talking Dead AMC Trial & Error NBC |
5.5 |
80 |
20/20 ABC Secrets and Lies ABC Dr. Ken ABC |
5.3 |
83 |
Gotham Fox Superstore NBC Dateline Sunday NBC APB Fox |
5.2 |
87 |
Fresh Off The Boat ABC |
5.1 |
88 |
Great American Baking Show ABC To Tell the Truth ABC |
5.0 |
90 |
48 Hours CBS The Simpsons Fox The Catch ABC |
4.9 |
93 |
Masterpiece: Sherlock PBS Celebrity Apprentice NBC Quantico ABC Gold Rush Discovery Hell’s Kitchen Fox Shots Fired Fox |
4.8 |
99 |
The Flash The CW Masterchef Junior Fox Major Crimes TNT Pitch Fox |
4.7 |
Source: Nielsen Media Research, 2016-2017 season to date through May 14, 2017, in millions. Nielsen prelim Live+7 Day, Prime, Originals only, Programs with majority of telecasts airing in season, Top 100 ranked on P2+ rating. Excludes: Repeats, Specials, Post-Season Sports, Pre/Post Sports Commentary, Mini-Series (<5 telecasts in season) and News. |
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