Midseason Report Card: The Most-Watched Shows on Fox, Ranked
Now that your broadcast-TV favorites are on holiday break, TVLine is looking at how each network’s shows are stacking up thus far during this very strange, strikes-stricken 2023-24 TV season. Previously we covered CBS, NBC, ABC and The CW (scroll to bottom), and now we close things out with a referendum on Fox.
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Listed here is the average TOTAL AUDIENCE for each Fox series (including Live+7 playback). Alongside that is the DEMO RATING (age 18-49) for each program, as well as any noteworthy PERFORMANCE NOTES.
Each program’s RANK represents how it is faring in total viewership compared to other shows on Fox, since that’s a big factor come renewal/cancellation time. (Shows that aired in multiple time slots got averaged out.)
FOX RANK | PROGRAM | L+7 AUDIENCE | L+7 DEMO | PERFORMANCE NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Fox NFL Sunday | 13.0 million | 3.37 rating | Audience down just 5% YOY |
2 | The OT | 11.3 million | 3.06 rating | Viewership up 10% YOY |
3 | Masked Singer Season 10 | 4.44 million | 0.66 rating | Down 15% and 27% vs. its 2022-23 TV season averages |
5 | Hell’s Kitchen Season 22 | 2.92 million | 0.53 rating | Up in audience and down just a tenth in demo YOY |
6 | Friday Night SmackDown | 2.54 million | 0.69 rating | Up in audience for a 2nd straight fall — but moving to USA in October! |
7 | BIG 12/PAC12 College Football | 2.47 million | 0.58 rating | |
8 | The Simpsons Season 35 | 2.34 million | 0.72 rating | The fall’s top-rated comedy, but numbers are down 23% YOY |
9 | Special Forces: WTT Season 2 | 2.09 million | 0.39 rating | Down 20% vs. Season 1 numbers; audience gets biggest L+7 bump (64%) of any reality show |
10 | Kitchen Nightmares Season 8 | 2.03 million | 0.38 rating | |
11 | Snake Oil Season 1 | 1.92 million | 0.33 rating | Fall’s 3rd-lowest rated new series |
tk | Krapopolis Season 1 | 1.85 million | 0.54 rating | TV’s No. 3-rated new series, tho with some NFL inflation; worst L+7 bump (7%) of any scripted show |
12 | Family Guy Season 21 | 1.54 million | 0.51 rating | Down 14% and 27% YOY |
13 | LEGO Masters Season 4 | 1.46 million | 0.34 rating | Dropped 35% and 43% vs. Season 3 |
14 | Name That Tune Season 3 | 1.45 million | 0.27 rating | Down 30% and 25% vs. previous averages |
15 | Bob’s Burgers Season 14 | 1.39 million | 0.47 rating | Down 18% and 22% YOY; TV’s least-watched non-CW series |
THE TVLINE BOTTOM LINE: The Masked Singer continues to be a reliable performer, though someone must look into its very steady slide; maybe it’s time to restore the simpler, original format? There also has to be some concern about Animation Domination’s double-digit declines. But the far bigger fish to fry for Fox are 1) replacing SmackDown, its highest-rated non-NFL program, when the WWE staple moves to USA Network next fall, and 2) making do without its most-watched and highest-rated scripted series, 9-1-1, which it let ABC snatch up for Season 7. Whoops.
CBS’ MIDSEASON REPORT CARD
RANK | PROGRAM | L+7 AUDIENCE | L+7 DEMO | PERFORMANCE NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 60 Minutes Season 56 | 8.95 million | 0.91 rating | Broadcast’s most-watched non-sports program, audience down just 5% YOY |
2 | NCIS: Sydney* Season 1 | 6.71 million | 0.43 rating | TV’s most-watched scripted series, tho a far cry from NCIS proper’s year-ago numbers |
3 | Survivor Season 45 | 6.62 million | 1.08 rating | 2nd-most watched reality series, top-rated non-sports program, up in demo YOY |
4 | The Amazing Race Season 35 | 4.61 million | 0.69 rating | Numbers steady YOY, audience gets 2nd-best L+7 bump (63%) of any reality series |
5 | Yellowstone (acquired) | 4.48 million | 0.25 rating | The fall’s most-watched, top-rated acquired series (of many!) |
6 | The Price Is Right at Night | 3.84 million | 0.35 rating | |
7 | Big Brother Season 25 | 3.78 million | 0.72 rating | TV’s No. 3-rated reality series |
8 | 48 Hours Season 36 | 3.23 million | 0.33 rating | Numbers steady YOY |
9 | Ghosts UK (acquired) | 3.17 million | 0.27 rating | |
10 | Let’s Make a Deal Primetime | 2.72 million | 0.25 rating | |
11 | Raid the Cage Season 1 | 2.60 million | 0.27 rating | 2nd-most watched new unscripted series |
12 | FBI TRUE (acquired) | 2.57 million | 0.22 rating | |
13 | The Challenge: USA Season 2 | 2.39 million | 0.49 rating | |
14 | Buddy Games Season 1 | 2.24 million | 0.33 rating | |
15 | SEAL Team (acquired) | 1.96 million | 0.17 rating | |
16 | Loteria Loca Season 1 | 1.51 million | 0.20 rating | 2nd-smallest audience for a new, non-CW series; 2nd-worst L+7 gains for a new show |
THE TVLINE BOTTOM LINE FOR CBS: “America’s Most-Watched Network,” even with only one truly “new” scripted series on its slate, fared well thanks to the venerable (and often NFL-buoyed) 60 Minutes, the aforementioned NCIS: Sydney, and rock-steady performances from Survivor and The Amazing Race…. As “scheduling spackle” goes, one could do worse than Yellowstone reruns opposite NBC Sunday Night Football!
Want SCOOP on any of the above shows? Email InsideLine@tvline.com, and your question may be answered via Matt’s Inside Line!
NBC’S MIDSEASON REPORT CARD
NBC RANK | PROGRAM | L+7 AUDIENCE | L+7 DEMO | PERFORMANCE NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sunday Night Football | 20.1 million | 5.34 rating | TV’s most-watched, top-rated program; audience +12% YOY |
2 | The Voice Season 24 | 7.48 million | 0.68 rating | TV’s most-watched entertainment program, audience up a tick YOY |
3 | The Irrational Season 1 | 6.34 million | 0.51 rating | TV’s No. 2 drama in viewers/demo; best L+7 audience bump (69%) of any Big 4 program |
4 | Found Season 1 | 5.11 million | 0.56 rating | The fall’s top-rated drama series and No. 3-rated new program |
5 | Magnum P.I. Season 5B | 4.85 million | 0.38 rating | Audience dipped 3%, demo steady vs. Season 5A |
6 | Quantum Leap Season 2 | 3.87 million | 0.47 rating | The fall’s No. 3-rated drama; audience steady but demo down 22% vs. Season 1 |
7 | Dateline Season 32 | 3.54 million | 0.41 rating | Audience up a tick, demo down a tenth YOY |
8 | B1G Saturday Night Football | 3.02 million | 0.60 rating | |
9 | Transplant Season 3 (acquired) | 2.74 million | 0.23 rating | Among all fall dramas, beats only CBS’ SEAL Team reruns in audience and demo |
10 | The Wall Season 5B | 2.65 million | 0.28 rating | Audience up, demo steady vs. Season 5A |
11 | Dateline Mystery | 2.19 million | 0.25 rating | Steady vs. last season |
THE TVLINE BOTTOM LINE FOR NBC: Sunday Night Football viewership growing for a third straight fall is a big ol’ touchdown for NBC. Ditto The Voice also seeing gains, in this fall’s especially crowded reality-TV environment…. The decision to hold both The Irrational and Found for fall, where they could stand out among precious few original scripted shows, paid off and then some, with the former only trailing CBS’ much-hyped NCIS: Sydney in audience and the latter leading all fall dramas in the demo. (Both are already renewed for Season 2.)
ABC’S MIDSEASON REPORT CRAD
ABC RANK | PROGRAM | L+7 AUDIENCE | L+7 DEMO | PERFORMANCE NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Monday Night Football | 10.3 million | 2.02 rating | TV’s No. 2 program in total viewers and in the demo |
2 | The Golden Bachelor Season 1 | 5.95 million | 0.80 rating | The fall’s 3rd-most watched, No. 2-rated reality program |
3 | Dancing With the Stars Season 32 | 5.90 million | 0.72 rating | Down 8% and 34% from its previous season on ABC |
4 | Saturday Night Football | 4.44 million | 1.02 rating | Numbers up 10% YOY |
5 | Celebrity Jeopardy! Season 2 | 4.34 million | 0.47 rating | Up a tick in audience, steady in demo YOY |
6 | 20/20 Season 46 | 4.05 million | 0.46 rating | Up 13% in audience, steady in demo YOY |
7 | Shark Tank Season 15 | 3.95 million | 0.46 rating | Down 6% and a tenth YOY |
8 | AFV Season 34 | 3.91 million | 0.39 rating | Down 11% and a tenth YOY |
9 | Celebrity Wheel of Fortune Season 4 | 3.66 million | 0.40 rating | Down 6% and a tenth vs. last season |
10 | $100,000 Pyramid Season 7 | 3.22 million | 0.31 rating | Down 21% and two tenths vs. summer 2022 |
11 | Bachelor in Paradise Season 9 | 2.89 million | 0.59 rating | Down 7% and two tenths YOY |
12 | Press Your Luck Season 5 | 2.73 million | 0.30 rating | Whammy! Down 28% and 40% vs. summer 2022 |
13 | The Great Christmas Light Fight Season 11 | 2.25 million | 0.29 rating |
THE TVLINE BOTTOM LINE FOR ABC: Whatever parent company Disney “lost” by sharing ESPN’s Monday Night Football with ABC, it was worth it, seeing as the weekly sportscast helped the Alphabet network post year-over-year gains in average viewership — the only broadcaster to do so, as noted by our sister site THR…. That said, ABC’s “decision” to forego scripted fare this strikes-stricken fall season would have paid better dividends had the bulk of its reality slate not returned down, and by small to significant degrees. But hey, you gotta hand it to that 72-year-old Golden Bachelor for drawing lookie-loos right out of the gate, and (ironically!) only trailing CBS’ venerable Survivor in the 18-49 demo among this fall’s reality shows.
THE CW’S MIDSEASON REPORT CARD
CW RANK | PROGRAM | L+7 AUDIENCE | L+7 DEMO | PERFORMANCE NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ACC Football | 910,000 | 0.19 rating | The CW also smartly snatched up ACC men’s and women’s basketball games |
2 | Penn & Teller: Fool Us | 794,000 | 0.10 rating | CW’s most-watched/top-rated entertainment program; audience down just 3% YOY |
3 | Sullivan’s Crossing (acquired) | 749,000 | 0.09 rating | Audience gets 3rd-best L+7 bump (64%) of any broadcast drama, and the biggest demo increase (80%) |
4 | The Spencer Sisters (acquired) | 657,000 | 0.06 rating | Audience enjoys broadcast-TV’s largest L+7 bump (70%) |
5 | The Chosen (acquired) | 557,000 | 0.04 rating | Audience gets tiniest L+7 bump (17%) of any scripted CW show |
6 | Swarm (acquired) | 545,000 | 0.06 rating | Audience gets 4th-best L+7 bump (62%) of any broadcast drama |
7 | Whose Line Is It Anyway? | 533,000 | 0.10 rating | Audience down 26% YOY |
8 | Saturday night movies | 485,000 | 0.06 rating | |
9 | Son of a Critch (acquired) | 431,000 | 0.06 rating | |
10 | World’s Funniest Animals | 348,000 | 0.05 rating | Audience down 23% YOY |
11 | Inside the NFL | 347,000 | 0.06 rating | |
12 | Masters of Illusion | 324,000 | 0.05 rating | Audience down 19% vs. last season |
13 | Children Ruin Everything (acquired) | 242,000 | 0.03 rating | |
14 | FBoy Island | 230,000 | 0.05 rating | Shuttled to Friday after 3 Monday airings |
15 | Run the Burbs (acquired) | 226,000 | 0.03 rating | Pulled from schedule in mid-November |
16 | Everyone Else Burns (acquired) | 214,000 | 0.02 rating | Smallest audience of any broadcast-TV program; pulled in mid-November |
THE TVLINE BOTTOM LINE FOR THE CW: First off, we should note that The CW’s most-watched programs at this time last year were Walker (averaging 1.38 million viewers) and Walker Independence (1.02 million), while Professionals (411K) and Criss Angel’s Magic With the Stars (385K) brought up the rear. All told, my back-of-napkin math suggests that the netlet’s average fall viewership declined 35% year-over-year, as new owner Nexstar’s vision started taking shape. Of the few returning “legacy” programs, only Walker and All American have started filming new episodes; Superman & Lois (with a short final season) and All American: Homecoming get their cameras rolling in January.
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