CBS said it once again generated the biggest audience among the major broadcast networks for the soon-to-finish November-May broadcast TV season, averaging 6.35 million viewers.
That audience ranks above the 6.25 million viewers averaged by NBC this season, and it puts CBS in the position of marketing itself as "America's Most Watched Network" for a 14th consecutive year, and 19 out of the last 20 years.
Total Viewers:
CBS - 6.35 million
NBC - 6.25 million
Fox - 4.68 million
ABC - 4.19 million
The outcome has been different for the full 52-week ratings competition in recent years. NBC ranked first in primetime viewer average and in the all-important demo for the full 2020-21 year.
According to Nielsen data through May 1, NBC also won this season's demo crown with a 1.2 rating among viewers 18-49.
Ratings for Adults 18-49:
NBC - 1.2
Fox - 1.1
CBS - 0.8
ABC - 0.7
Going back a decade, CBS won the 2011-12 season prime-time audience title by averaging 12 million viewers, an audience nearly twice the size of CBS' current viewership.
"The strength and depth of our core CBS series, the top new comedies and dramas on television, our iconic alternative programming, world-class sports franchises, plus the finest news program in the history of television, provided us with the power to surge to the top of the broadcast landscape for the 14th consecutive season. That's a huge testament to our talent, producers and the CBS team," said Kelly Kahl, president of CBS Entertainment, in a statement.
