• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, 5 hours ago

Linear TV networks are still suffering -- overall. And yet we can offer some nuggets of hope, even for some small and mid-sized networks.

First let’s look at the top charts -- those with gains ranked third to sixth in prime-time viewing. These include ABC (5% higher, with 4.04 million average viewers), Fox (10%, with 3.14 million); Fox News Channel (12%, at 2.76 million), and ESPN (18%, with 1.97 million).

We can see that three of the four of these networks witnessed major benefits from sports. Specifically, ABC gained from airing “Monday Night Football” for the past two years.

Two networks ranked sixth and seventh: Univision and Telemundo were each up 3% -- 1.07 million and 993,000, respectively. Sports can be credited -- as well as measurement of Spanish-language TV homes via Nielsen Big Data+Panel improvements.

Down the list in 17th place, The CW is up 13% (502,000) versus the year before, largely due to much more sports coverage -- albeit not top brands/sports on the major TV networks/streamers.

This includes ACC college football and basketball, the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Professional Bull Riders and Professional Bowlers Association, among others.

Farther down the list is Bounce TV (in 30th place with 300,000) an African-American TV digital broadcast network -- up 27% year-over-year.

ESPN2 is tied with Bounce TV, posting a 5% improvement (300,000). After this comes Paramount Skydance’s “Nick at Nite” in the (40th spot) which primarily airs popular family-friendly library sitcoms/comedies from the big TV networks. It is up 8%.

In somewhat of a familiar vein is Disney-ABC Television's Freeform (42nd) -- 8% higher -- which specifically targets young adults with scripted dramas and comedies and syndicated library sitcoms.

One wonders if these two channels are benefiting from the overall rise coming from FAST streaming channels, which air the similar mix of older, quality regular looking TV content -- with commercials.

Both “Nick at Nite” and Freeform add to the list of places where young viewers are presumably still watching some live, linear TV.

Adding to this list is Nickelodeon, in 60th place, gaining 9% (143,000) and Nicktoons (110th), up 4% to 53,000.

These results come from Nielsen's Big Data Plus Panel: December 30, 2024 through November 30, 2025 and live-plus-seven day airings December 1, 2025 though December 14, 2025, as well as live-plus-same day airings -- versus Nielsen's Panel a year ago: January 1, 2024 through December 1, 2024, and live-plus-seven day airings for two weeks for the period from December 2, 2024 through December 15, 2024.

And here’s something to kick up your heels over: The Cowboy Channel (in the 125th spot) is up 21% to 29,000 total average viewers.

Sure, the news is still grim. Still, it should at least create a wrinkle in our thinking about linear TV. You might just be inclined to utter a big yee-haw! 

This story has been updated.