Over the past few years, a number of hits have been launched in the summer, including “The O.C.,” “Dancing With the Stars” and “America’s Got Talent.”
But this summer, for the first time in several years, no new show seems capable of gaining traction with audiences. And that has resulted in the worst summer on broadcast in recent memory, certainly since the networks started filling June-September with reality shows.
Collectively, the Big Four networks are down 13 percent among adults 18-49 summer-to-date, according to Nielsen data analyzed by Fox. From May 28 to July 8, ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox have combined for a 7.6 rating, compared with an 8.7 for last summer.
Every network is down, though Fox has faded the least, off 4 percent from a 2.4 to a 2.3. ABC is down 15 percent, from a 2.0 to a 1.7, part of that attributable to a shortened NBA Finals series (four games instead of six).
CBS is off 14 percent, from a 2.1 to a 1.8, and NBC is down the most, 18 percent, from a 2.2 to a 1.8.
Driving most of that decline is the poor ratings for so many of the networks' new reality shows. Though returning shows are drawing viewers, no new summer show is rating more than a 2.5 this summer. Many, like Fox’s “On the Lot,” CBS’s “Pirate Master” and ABC’s “Shaq’s Big Challenge,” are actually below the dismal 2.0 mark.
That hurts doubly. A successful new summer reality show helps a network directly in terms of ratings, but also by getting people buzzing about the network and broadcast television generally.
But there are other reasons for the declines, and one may be the lingering ratings flu of the spring that saw ratings tumble across broadcast for reasons no one could quite put their finger on.
If in the spring people turned away from big hits like “American Idol” and “Grey’s Anatomy,” you can’t expect them to return to broadcast for such ho-hum reality series as NBC's “Age of Love.”
But also hurting was the low tune-in for the NHL and NBA Finals, giving NBC and ABC smaller audiences to advertise their new shows to.
Yet another reason is the increasing draw of cable, which each summer increases its share of audience of young adults and other key demographics over broadcast.
According to numbers crunched by Turner Networks, cable is off to its best-ever summer start among adults 18-49, up 4 percent over last year to a 52 share. Meanwhile, broadcast has fallen to a 24.9 share, with the remaining viewership going to pay cable, independent stations, public television and such.
Finally, one might argue that viewers aren’t watching because the quality of shows this summer is at an all-time low, consisting mostly of cheap reality like “Pirate Master” or summer burnoffs like ABC’s “The Traveler.”
Clearly the network's aren't attacking summer with anywhere near the gusto of the past. Just three years ago, Fox rolled out an entirely new slate of dramas and comedies, and NBC had a new reality show on nearly every night of the week. Now, fewer seem willing to spend money to develop shows for the slow summer months.
Meanwhile, in English-language broadcast ratings for the week ended July 8:
Among adults 18-49, Fox led with a 1.8 rating and a 6 share, followed by CBS at 1.6/5, NBC at 1.5/5, ABC at 1.4/5, CW at 0.6/2 and MyNetworkTV at 0.4/1.
Among adults 18-34, Fox led with a 1.8 average rating and a 7 share, followed by ABC and NBC at 1.1/4, CBS at 1.0/4, CW at 0.6/2 and MyNetworkTV at 0.3/10.
Among adults 25-54, CBS led with a 2.2 average rating and a 7 share, followed by Fox at 1.9/6, NBC at 1.7/5, ABC at 1.6/5, CW at 0.7/2 and MyNetworkTV at 0.4/1.
Top five English-language Big Five shows (18-49s): 1. Fox’s “Hell’s Kitchen” 3.9; 2. Fox’s “Family Guy -- 9:30” 3.4; 3. Fox’s “Family Guy” 3.1; 4. Fox’s “Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader” 2.8; Tie-5. CBS’s “Big Brother – Thursday” and “CSI” 2.7.
Top five English-language Big Five shows (total viewers): 1. CBS’s “CSI” 9.42 million; 2. Fox’s “Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader” 8.47 million; 3. CBS’s “CSI: Miami” 8.38 million; 4. CBS’s “60 Minutes” 8.19 million; 5. CBS’s “Two and a Half Men” 8.17 million.
Bottom five English-language Big Five shows (18-49s): Tie-95. CW’s “Supernatural,” “7th Heaven,” and “America’s Next Top Model” 0.4; Tie-98. CW’s “Hidden Palms,” “Veronica Mars” and “Gilmore Girls” 0.3.
Bottom five English-language Big Five shows (total viewers): 96. CW’s “7th Heaven” 1.08 million; 97. CW’s “Supernatural” 1.04 million; 98. CW’s “Gilmore Girls” 0.99 million; 99. CW’s “Hidden Palms” 0.98 million; 100. CW’s “Veronica Mars” 0.96 million.
Show on the rise: “Extreme Makeover,” ABC, Monday 9 p.m. “Makeover” posted a 2.2 rating among viewers 18-49 last week, an 83 percent increase versus the 1.2 “Ex-Wives Club” posted the week before in that timeslot.
Shows on the decline: “Age of Love,” NBC, Monday 9 p.m. The “cougars versus kittens” competition is losing viewers’ interest, last week posting a 1.8 among 18-49s, off 22 percent from the previous week’s 2.3.
|
PRIMETIME AVERAGES BY NETWORK
Ranked on Households
Week Ending July 8 |
|
Network
|
Households
|
People 2+
|
Adults 18-49
|
|
Rtg%
|
(000)
|
Shr
|
Rtg%
|
(000)
|
Shr
|
Rtg%
|
(000)
|
Shr
|
|
CBS
|
4.3
|
4740
|
8
|
2.2
|
6270
|
7
|
1.6
|
2110
|
5
|
|
NBC
|
3.3
|
3660
|
6
|
1.7
|
4870
|
5
|
1.5
|
1930
|
5
|
|
FOX
|
3.0
|
3350
|
6
|
1.7
|
4760
|
5
|
1.8
|
2410
|
6
|
|
ABC
|
2.8
|
3120
|
5
|
1.5
|
4170
|
5
|
1.4
|
1810
|
5
|
|
UNI
|
1.6
|
1730
|
3
|
1.0
|
2910
|
3
|
1.3
|
1710
|
4
|
|
CW
|
1.2
|
1330
|
2
|
0.6
|
1780
|
2
|
0.6
|
820
|
2
|
|
TF
|
0.8
|
880
|
2
|
0.5
|
1460
|
2
|
0.7
|
940
|
2
|
|
MNT
|
0.6
|
690
|
1
|
0.3
|
930
|
1
|
0.4
|
510
|
1
|
|
TEL
|
0.6
|
620
|
1
|
0.3
|
970
|
1
|
0.4
|
560
|
1
|
|
ION
|
0.4
|
490
|
1
|
0.2
|
650
|
1
|
0.1
|
190
|
1
|
|
AZA
|
0.1
|
60
|
0
|
0.0
|
80
|
0
|
0.0
|
50
|
0
|
|
* Each rating point is equivalent to 1.114 million homes
Source: Nielsen Media Research |
|
SEASON-TO-DATE PRIMETIME AVERAGES BY NETWORK
Ranked on Households
Week Ending July 8 |
|
Network
|
Households
|
People 2+
|
Adults 18-49
|
|
Rtg%
|
(000)
|
Shr
|
Rtg%
|
(000)
|
Shr
|
Rtg%
|
(000)
|
Shr
|
|
CBS
|
7.3
|
8100
|
12
|
4.0
|
11380
|
11
|
3.3
|
4300
|
9
|
|
FOX
|
5.8
|
6500
|
10
|
3.4
|
9520
|
9
|
3.7
|
4800
|
10
|
|
ABC
|
5.8
|
6460
|
10
|
3.2
|
8940
|
8
|
3.1
|
4070
|
9
|
|
NBC
|
5.3
|
5910
|
9
|
2.9
|
8150
|
8
|
2.8
|
3640
|
8
|
|
UNI
|
2.0
|
2170
|
3
|
1.3
|
3600
|
3
|
1.6
|
2040
|
4
|
|
CW
|
1.9
|
2120
|
3
|
1.0
|
2930
|
3
|
1.2
|
1540
|
3
|
|
MNT
|
0.6
|
670
|
1
|
0.3
|
840
|
1
|
0.3
|
410
|
1
|
|
TEL
|
0.5
|
590
|
1
|
0.3
|
890
|
1
|
0.4
|
520
|
1
|
