After two weeks of the TV season, advertisers now have their first look at the only TV ratings that still matter to them -- commercial ratings. NBC posted the best numbers among key
viewers, with CBS making the only improvement.
NBC has been earning an average 2.97 rating among 18-49 viewers, when looking at Nielsen’s average commercial ratings plus three days of
time-shifting (C3), down 7% from a year ago when it was 3.18 for the first two weeks of the season.
Ratings results compared September 22 through October 5 of this year, versus September 23
through October 6 of a year ago.
CBS made the biggest gain -- in large part to NFL’s “Thursday Night Football” -- improving 16% to an average 18-49 rating of 2.58 from 2.23
of a year ago. ABC landed in third place at a 2.07 rating, slipping 7% from a 2.24.
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Fox is the biggest loser so far -- off 33% down to a 1.47 from 2.19. Analysts expect Fox losses to ease with
Major League Baseball’s World Series still unaccounted for, as well as another season of “American Idol” coming in January.
Smaller broadcast networks also lost ground: CW is
down 17% to a 0.34 18-39 C3 rating from 0.41; ION is off 21% to a 0.23 from a 0.29.
CBS continues its winning ways among all total viewers -- to a leading 3.76 C3 rating, up 9% from last
year’s 3.44. NBC is in relatively close second place, at a 3.28 down 1% from a 3.30. ABC is at a 2.58, slipping 1% from a 2.59. Fox was further back, a 1.31, down a big 34%, from a 1.98.
CW is at a 0.31, losing 13% from a 0.36; ION is at a 0.32, slipping 10% to from a 0.35.
Overall the six broadcast networks are down 8% in 18-49 C3 ratings versus a year ago to a combined
9.66 rating. Ad-supported cable networks are down 10% to a 13.69. In looking at total viewers, six broadcast networks are down 4% to a combined 11.56 rating; ad supported cable lost 8% to 14.83.
This year, TV networks have pushed business trade publications to use live program plus time-shifting metrics that extends three and seven of viewing. Typically, many publications still use live
program plus same day time-shifted ratings.
At this year’s upfront advertising marketplace, broadcast TV networks began making advertising deals based on C7 (commercials ratings plus
seven days of time shifting) in addition to C3.
"Watching TV" photo from Shutterstock.