2024 Ratings Superlatives: ‘Bluey,’ ‘Yellowstone’ and Sports’ Streaming Breakthroughs

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As a seasoned television enthusiast and someone who has spent countless hours immersed in the ever-evolving world of streaming and broadcast networks, I must say that the year 2024 has been nothing short of extraordinary. The sheer volume of captivating content released this year has left me both awestruck and overwhelmed, but in the best possible way!

The rise of women’s sports, particularly basketball, was a particular highlight for me. As someone who grew up playing sports and has always been an advocate for gender equality, it was heartening to see the women’s NCAA tournament and WNBA season break records and capture the attention of viewers across the nation. The momentum carried by Caitlin Clark and the women’s game is a testament to the power of sport as a unifying force and a catalyst for change.

Another standout moment was ESPN’s coup in securing the broadcast rights to Southeastern Conference football. As someone who has followed college football passionately, I can attest that the addition of SEC teams to Saturday Night Football has elevated the viewing experience and brought a renewed sense of excitement to the weekly primetime showcase.

The streaming landscape also saw some significant shifts this year, with AMC’s licensing deal with Netflix being one of the most intriguing developments. As someone who appreciates the artistry and storytelling prowess that networks like AMC bring to the table, it was fascinating to see their content resonate so strongly on a platform as massive as Netflix. The success of shows like Dark Winds and A Discovery of Witches not only validated AMC’s decision to license their content but also provided a boost to AMC+, the network’s streaming service.

In closing, I must admit that keeping up with the deluge of captivating content this year has been an exhausting yet exhilarating journey. And as someone who once dreamt of being a screenwriter myself, I can’t help but feel inspired by the incredible stories and talent on display in 2024.

Now, if only they could find a way to clone me so I can watch it all! (Just kidding, Netflix, I don’t want any weird clones running around!)

As a die-hard TV enthusiast with over two decades of viewing under my belt, let me share some intriguing insights from the year 2024: A tiny, adorable blue canine stole the show in the streaming realm; the most-watched cable series in years bid a fond farewell – at least for now; sports, particularly NFL games, demonstrated their staying power on digital platforms; and the latest blockbuster broadcast program is a captivating meta-remake featuring an iconic 76-year-old star. Truly fascinating times we live in!

Conversely, at the other end of the spectrum, a broadcast network managed to survive an entire year without any program attracting more than one million viewers, while two out of the top three cable news channels are struggling, and the broader cable world is facing significant difficulties in drawing audiences for non-live sports programming.

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In contrast, a broadcast network has gone an entire year without a single show pulling in over 1 million viewers, and two out of the three leading cable news networks are faltering. The larger cable industry is grappling with substantial difficulties in capturing viewership for programming that isn’t live sports.

As a long-time TV viewer, I can confidently say that this year has been quite chaotic in terms of ratings, to put it mildly. From the highs and lows I’ve witnessed over the years, this season takes the cake. The unpredictability of what will be popular and what won’t is always fascinating, but never more so than now. It seems as though the rules have been thrown out the window, and anything goes! I can only imagine the challenges that ratings analysts must face in trying to make sense of it all.

Bad News First

Previously, there were numerous trustworthy online platforms providing ratings information for broadcast and cable networks, which were updated frequently with detailed data about viewership. However, as streaming services became popular among TV viewers, these sources of information have diminished significantly. As a result, it’s challenging to find up-to-date insights into the performance of network shows even after a week of DVR viewing.

Over time, streaming services and broadcasters have started to disclose some data, particularly concerning total viewer hours (even though they use multiple metrics for success or failure). However, the information provided can sometimes be confusing and challenging to validate against external sources. Publicly-traded companies might not intentionally lie about their statistics, but the calculations are often complex. Traditional television networks have adopted similar practices, boasting about successful shows (with streaming figures that are difficult to verify) while providing little insight into the broader picture. The emergence of various viewing measurement methods, some public and many private, has made it more challenging than ever to answer the question “How many people are actually watching?

To clarify, The Real Housewives (THR) successfully collected a decent amount of information from trustworthy resources. It’s important to mention that unless explicitly stated otherwise, ratings figures for cable or broadcast shows discussed are provided by Nielsen and cover seven days of linear viewing, but exclude streaming data up until Dec 8. Streaming statistics, also sourced from Nielsen, pertain only to the U.S. through Nov 24.

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For clarity, The Real Housewives (THR) successfully gathered a reasonable amount of data from credible sources. It’s essential to note that ratings figures for cable or broadcast shows mentioned, unless specified otherwise, are derived from Nielsen and encompass seven days of linear viewing but do not include streaming statistics up until Dec 8. Streaming data, sourced from Nielsen as well, pertain solely to the U.S. through Nov 24.

Despite not having major blockbusters, The CW’s impact on pop culture has been substantial: Over the years, The CW (and its former networks UPN and The WB) have not produced massive ratings hits, but due to their focus on younger audiences, they have held a significant place in popular culture. Even as recent as the 2022-23 season, some of its shows attracted over a million viewers after a week of delayed viewing. However, this has not been the case since the beginning of the 2023-24 season (though the three primetime NASCAR Xfinity races it broadcast last fall fell just short of 1 million). In the 2024-25 season thus far, none of its non-sports programming is averaging more than 800,000 viewers without streaming.

As a long-time cable news viewer and avid follower of political events, I have noticed a significant shift in the landscape of cable news networks over the past few years. While it’s no surprise that cable news saw an increase in viewership during the 2024 presidential election, what has been concerning is the steep decline in ratings for CNN and MSNBC following the election.

I remember the days when these networks were at the forefront of political coverage, offering insightful analysis and thought-provoking commentary. However, after the election, they have struggled to regain their audience, with Fox News commanding more than 70 percent of the cable news audience in primetime. This is a stark contrast to the approximately 55 percent share that these networks held for the full year.

I can’t help but wonder if the decline in ratings is due to a lack of focus on the issues that matter most to viewers, or perhaps a shift in programming strategy that isn’t resonating with audiences. Regardless of the reason, it’s clear that something needs to change for CNN and MSNBC to regain their footing and reclaim their audience share.

In my opinion, these networks need to get back to basics and focus on delivering quality journalism and insightful commentary that is relevant to viewers. They should also be more responsive to the changing needs of their audience and adapt their programming accordingly. Only then can they hope to regain their lost ground and reclaim their position as leaders in cable news.

In 2024, there was a significant decrease in the number of scripted cable shows and a corresponding drop in ratings for those that continued airing. Excluding Yellowstone and post-Yellowstone advertisements for Paramount+’s Landman, produced by Taylor Sheridan, only one other scripted cable series managed to attract over 2 million viewers: Hallmark’s When Calls the Heart with a viewership of 2.77 million. Another Hallmark series, The Way Home, had slightly less than 2 million viewers, but no other cable scripted programming could muster more than approximately 1.5 million viewers before moving to streaming platforms.

Now, the Good News

Yellowstone: The journey to the second half of the Paramount Network’s popular show was far from smooth, but that didn’t seem to bother viewers who made it a hit. Despite the absence of Kevin Costner and a 22-month break between episodes, the series set numerous records, with 16.4 million viewers across nine networks (including one on CBS that attracted around a third of the total) for the premiere on November 10, and 13.1 million for the finale over three days on just Paramount Network and CMT.

Assistant: The streaming sensation expected to surpass other shows in 2024 is a children’s program, which has been remarkably popular and sparked numerous discussions on TV. As of late November, this hit series, Bluey, has accumulated over 50 billion minutes of viewing time on Disney+ – that’s approximately 95,000 years’ worth! It has consistently ranked in Nielsen’s streaming top 10 for 112 consecutive weeks since October 2022 and currently boasts a lead of around 7 billion minutes over Grey’s Anatomy, the only other show to appear every week.

The National Football League (NFL) continues to dominate television viewing in the U.S., with its current season performing as well as the one in 2023, which is significant because TV viewership for the NFL usually drops slightly during election years. This success comes after a record-breaking Super Bowl in February and increased popularity on streaming platforms. A playoff game on Peacock set a new record for streaming-exclusive games, as did Netflix’s Christmas matches. Additionally, Amazon Prime Video’s Thursday Night Football saw more than a 12% increase in viewership compared to the previous year.

During the election year of 2023, cable news networks experienced a significant growth in viewership: It was mentioned earlier that cable news networks saw an overall increase in their performance in the year 2023, largely due to the presidential election. All three major networks – CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC – saw improvements in both their primetime and full-day audiences compared to 2023 (up until December 19). Among these networks, Fox News had the largest audience and the most substantial year-over-year growth. On average, they attracted 2.41 million viewers during primetime hours (a 31% increase) and 1.47 million viewers for the full day (a 21% rise). MSNBC followed closely behind with 1.25 million primetime viewers (a 3% increase) and 804,000 viewers for the full day (a 4% increase), while CNN had 697,000 primetime viewers (a 20% increase) and 487,000 viewers for the total day (a 2% rise).

Tracker and Matlock: Debuting post-Super Bowl in February, the series Tracker, featuring Justin Hartley, attracted a massive viewership (over 18 million viewers) for its premiere and maintained substantial audiences for CBS thereafter, concluding the 2023-24 season as the highest-rated non-sports show on any broadcast network. It has consistently remained in the top spot during fall, averaging approximately 11.4 million viewers before streaming (representing a 5% increase from its first season average, excluding the Super Bowl episode). Matlock, starring Kathy Bates in a modern take on the Andy Griffith legal series, effortlessly claims the title of the most successful new show this fall, garnering around 10.2 million viewers across its initial seven episodes; aside from Tracker, it’s the only broadcast network program, excluding NFL games, that surpasses 10 million viewers without streaming support. (Both shows see an additional 3 million viewers via streaming based on limited available data.)

Here are the most popular original series of 2024, each dominating its respective streaming platform: Bridgerton on Netflix, Fallout on Prime Video, Love Island on Peacock, Tulsa King on Paramount+, Only Murders in the Building and The Bear on Hulu. Interestingly, Only Murders in the Building is currently leading The Bear, but this might change when the full-year statistics are released in January. Bridgerton held the highest viewer hours among all, totaling 16.91 billion minutes across 14 weeks in the top 10 (with more to be added from its time outside the top 10).

The Unofficial Streaming Champions: Nielsen doesn’t count live sports in its streaming ratings. If it did, NBCUniversal’s Summer Olympics broadcast would have been the most-watched original program of the year on streaming platforms, with over 23.5 billion minutes viewed on Peacock and other NBCUniversal digital channels. The live coverage of all sports and the “Gold Zone” channel garnered positive media attention and thumbs-up from viewers, accounting for a significant portion of the largest Olympics audience (30.6 million across all platforms) since 2012.

Two standout debut performances this season: ABC’s “High Potential” and “Happy’s Place” starring Reba McEntire, both of which have garnered impressive viewership. ABC’s “High Potential,” their highest-rated non-sports show of the fall, attracted 6.58 million viewers initially, with this number increasing significantly upon streaming to over 10 million viewers per episode across all platforms within a week. The series premiere also reached an impressive 20 million unique viewers within its first 35 days. On the other hand, “Happy’s Place,” which airs on NBC, has become the network’s most-watched Friday show in three seasons, with 4.74 million viewers tuning in for each episode. This surpasses the viewership of “The Blacklist” from previous seasons.

As a passionate gamer, I’ve been absolutely hooked on the electrifying world of women’s basketball lately! The unstoppable force that is Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, chasing the all-time NCAA scoring record, propelled her team to the national championship game, and South Carolina’s undefeated title-winning season took it all to a new level. This epic clash broke viewing records left and right, with a staggering 18.87 million viewers tuning in – a record for women’s games in the US and surpassing the viewership of the men’s final (14.82 million) for the first time ever! The wave of enthusiasm didn’t stop there; it carried over to the WNBA season, where nationally televised games saw ratings skyrocket and the Finals series drew the most viewers since 1999. Truly a game-changer in the world of sports!

ESPN’s Successful Takeover: The broadcast of ABC’s Saturday Night Football is expected to conclude this season with the greatest audience expansion among any primetime network transmission. This impressive growth can be attributed to ESPN acquiring the rights to broadcast Southeastern Conference football for the current season, a role previously held by CBS Sports for a long time. With SEC teams dominating primetime slots during the fall, Saturday Night Football attracted nearly 8 million viewers – a 80% rise compared to 2023 when it featured a mix of games from various powerful conferences.

AMC’s Agreement with Netflix: AMC struck a licensing agreement with Netflix, allowing 15 shows to stream over the summer. The partnership has been successful, as series such as Dark Winds and A Discovery of Witches saw impressive viewership on Nielsen charts in late August and early September. Moreover, this collaboration boosted subscriptions to AMC+, as indicated by AMC. For instance, the second season of Interview With the Vampire witnessed a fourfold increase in “first streams” – content watched immediately after signing up – on AMC+ following its premiere on Netflix.

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2024-12-31 17:26