CBS' Primetime Series Grow An Average +52% In Most Recent Nielsen Total Content Ratings

Delayed Viewing across Multiple Platforms Continues to Significantly Bolster Total Audience for Primetime Series

CBS' TCR Audience Even with the 2000-2001 Season

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Jun 12, 2017, 13:00 ET

NEW YORK, June 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CBS' primetime entertainment series grew an average of +52% from its live plus same day average, according to the most recent Nielsen Total Content Ratings (TCR) which measured the first 29 weeks of the 2016-2017 season. Nielsen's new TCR measures live plus 35 day viewing across multiple viewing platforms including VOD, TV and DVR. CBS measurement of online and mobile viewing is still in development and not included in this metric.

Television’s #1 comedy, #1 new drama and #1 drama all grew substantially from their live plus same day averages with THE BIG BANG THEORY up +65%, BULL +56% and NCIS +42%

Based on TCR season-to-date data through week 29, CBS' entertainment series delivered an average of 12.4 million viewers on a live plus 35 day basis, +52% more than its live plus same day average and +15% greater than its live plus 7 day average. CBS' 2016 TCR audience is even with the Network's audience of 16 years ago during the same time period, when only live viewing was measured.

"The new Total Content Ratings measurement continues to demonstrate our ability to build huge, unparalleled audiences around network television programs and create valuable content assets in the process," said Kelly Kahl, President, CBS Entertainment. "It shines an even bigger spotlight on how viewer habits have changed and how post-live viewing is boosting viewership that isn't captured the next day or even within three and seven days."

Television's #1 comedy, #1 drama and #1 new drama all grew substantially from their live plus same day averages:

THE BIG BANG THEORY grew +65% to 23.72 million viewers.
NCIS was up +42% to 21.22m.
Freshman drama BULL and BLUE BLOODS added more than six million viewers each, while CRIMINAL MINDS, NCIS: NEW ORLEANS and SCORPION all added well over five million viewers.

CBS Primetime Entertainment Series - 2016-17 Season-to-date - TCR Live+35 Days

		TCR LIVE+35	TCR vs. NPM Live+SD		TCR vs. NPM Live+7
		Per 2+ AA (000)	Percent Difference	(000) Difference	Percent Difference	(000) Difference
Rank	CBS AVERAGE	12,439	+52%	+4,281	+15%	+1,607
1	THE BIG BANG THEORY	23,716	+65%	+9,369	+22%	+4,297
2	NCIS	21,215	+42%	+6,296	+14%	+2,590
3	BULL	18,227	+56%	+6,549	+16%	+2,551
4	BLUE BLOODS	16,437	+63%	+6,363	+15%	+2,202
5	NCIS: NEW ORLEANS	15,393	+60%	+5,758	+14%	+1,914
6	HAWAII FIVE-0	14,626	+55%	+5,177	+18%	+2,250
7	NCIS: LOS ANGELES	14,364	+39%	+4,062	+13%	+1,641
8	CRIMINAL MINDS	13,073	+75%	+5,604	+20%	+2,135
9	SCORPION	12,773	+76%	+5,509	+19%	+2,000
10	MADAM SECRETARY	12,767	+51%	+4,322	+13%	+1,518
11	SURVIVOR	11,961	+42%	+3,534	+13%	+1,396
12	MACGYVER	11,329	+46%	+3,550	+15%	+1,453
13	KEVIN CAN WAIT	10,971	+38%	+3,022	+14%	+1,334
14	CODE BLACK	10,707	+79%	+4,723	+16%	+1,446
15	MOM	10,425	+39%	+2,902	+11%	+1,065
16	LIFE IN PIECES	9,346	+50%	+3,133	+13%	+1,074
17	PURE GENIUS	9,141	+71%	+3,796	+16%	+1,281
18	ELEMENTARY	9,076	+82%	+4,100	+18%	+1,360
19	THE GREAT INDOORS	8,905	+22%	+1,602	+8%	+681
20	SUPERIOR DONUTS	8,710	+28%	+1,925	+11%	+857
21	CRIMINAL MINDS: BEYOND BORDERS	8,556	+70%	+3,533	+17%	+1,262
22	MAN WITH A PLAN	8,554	+30%	+1,952	+11%	+833
23	HUNTED	8,202	+35%	+2,111	+13%	+943
24	2 BROKE GIRLS	7,993	+40%	+2,267	+12%	+870
25	DOUBT	7,791	+67%	+3,124	+15%	+996
26	THE AMAZING RACE	7,733	+86%	+3,581	+17%	+1,130
27	UNDERCOVER BOSS	7,070	+18%	+1,092	+6%	+401
28	THE ODD COUPLE	6,577	+32%	+1,580	+9%	+540
29	TRAINING DAY	6,001	+53%	+2,067	+14%	+756
30	RANSOM	5,081	+44%	+1,560	+15%	+673


Source: Nielsen TCR, 9/19/16-04/09/17; Persons 2+ AA (000), Primetime, originals only, excludes OTO specials, repeats, news and sports programming. TCR Live+35 data include TV, DVR and VOD viewing; Digital data is excluded from this analysis. TCR data are based on program only minutes; Nielsen's Live+SD and Live+7 data are based on program and commercial minutes. TCR data are based on Total U.S. Population, while NPM data are based on U.S. TV Households.