Fox, NBC Take Top Viewership Honors For Q4

• by Wayne Friedman , December 30, 2019

As the year and the fourth quarter end, Fox remains the only broadcast network of the major four to show rising Nielsen data in both viewing measures -- as well as claiming a rare top-spot win in 18-49 viewers.

Through Dec. 22, Fox is up 5% to a 2.01 average rating among 18-49 viewers, as measured by Nielsen’s live program plus seven days of time-shifted viewing and same-day viewing for the current weeks.

It is also up 9% in total viewers for the year to 7.32 million.

Much of this gain is attributed to Fox’s NFL’s “Thursday Night Football” and its unscripted reality show “The Masked Singer.”

After Fox, NBC is second -- down 14% to a 1.8 rating in 18-49 viewers -- while CBS has lost 21% to a 1.1 rating and ABC has slipped 8%, also at a 1.1.

At the same time, NBC posted its own rare win in total viewers -- an honor that has been dominated by CBS over the years.

Although down 8% for the quarter so far, NBC is averaging 8.1 million viewers.

CBS is next -- losing 12% to date this season, at a 7.85 million. Fox is up 9% at 7.32 million, while ABC sank 3% to 5.4 million.

CBS' losses can be primarily pegged to the ending of “The Big Bang Theory,” which finished its run at the end of last season.