Years ago, the networks would air mostly reruns during the summer months. Thanks to on-demand and streaming services, those days are long gone and summer is becoming nearly as competitive as the rest of the year. Which TV shows are doing the best? The worst? Cancelled or renewed? Wondering how your favorite series are doing? Here are the season average ratings of the Summer 2020 network TV shows — as of the end of week 47 (Sunday, August 16, 2020) of the 2019-20 broadcast season.
ABC shows (so far): The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons — Ever!, Celebrity Family Feud, Don’t, The Genetic Detective, Holey Moley, Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD, Match Game, Press Your Luck, To Tell the Truth, United We Fall, and What Would You Do?.
CBS shows this season (so far): Big Brother, Game On!, The Greatest #AtHome Videos, and Tough As Nails.
CW shows this season (so far): The 100, Being Reuben, Bulletproof, Burden of Truth, Coroner, DC’s Stargirl, Fridge Wars, Killer Camp, Masters of Illusion, Penn & Teller: Fool Us, Taskmaster, and Tell Me a Story.
FOX shows this season (so far): Celebrity Watch Party, Labor of Love, and Ultimate Tag.
NBC shows this season (so far): America’s Got Talent, Blindspot, Council of Dads, Dateline NBC, Hollywood Game Night, Songland, The Titan Games, and World of Dance.
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The averages are based on the final national numbers (live plus same day viewing). The demos are typically reported with one decimal place but I’ve included two for more accurate ranking. Some of these shows started airing in the regular season but they are included here because a significant portion of their episodes will air during the summer months.
Keep in mind that the demo numbers are typically what’s most important to advertisers. Therefore, that’s how the networks measure success. Advertisers typically pay more for ad time on a show that has a higher demo rating. Because older viewers don’t count? No, it’s because younger viewers watch less traditional TV and are harder to reach. It’s also important to remember that ratings are designed to estimate how many people watch a show’s commercials — not the show itself. That’s what advertisers pay for.
Want more? You can check out other season listings here.
What do you think? Are you surprised by any of the ratings? Which summer shows should be doing better?
