‘Sheriff Country’ Hits Series High of 5.5 Million Viewers as CBS Wins Premiere Week With Eight of the Top 10 Broadcast Shows
CBS drew an average of 4.4 million primetime viewers during the week of 4 to 10 October, beating NBC’s 3.4 million and leading the broadcast networks. It was the only network to grow year on year, although it had concentrated more of its season premieres in that week than its competitors.
“Sheriff Country” reached a series high of nearly 5.5 million viewers for its second-season premiere, up 25% on its first-season debut. CBS had eight of the week’s ten most-watched broadcast programmes; “60 Minutes” led with 10.2 million viewers, while new drama “Cupertino” drew 3.2 million and beat “Law & Order” in their timeslot. ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” and NBC’s “Chicago Med” were the only non-CBS shows in the top ten.
- CBS averaged 4.4 million viewers, ahead of its rivals.
- “Sheriff Country” set a series record with nearly 5.5 million.
- CBS accounted for eight of the week’s ten biggest broadcast shows.
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US broadcast networks compete for viewers through scheduled programmes and seasonal premieres. CBS, NBC and ABC are among the largest, while ratings measure how many people watch a programme or network over a given period.
A network’s weekly average reflects its whole primetime schedule, and can be affected by when it puts new episodes on air. Individual programmes also compete for viewers in the same timeslot, while established shows such as 60 Minutes sit alongside newer dramas and entertainment series.
These figures matter to broadcasters and advertisers because audience size helps show which programmes are attracting viewers. They offer one measure of performance, though a single week does not establish how a show or network will fare over a full season.