Nielsen list illustrates power of franchises for networks
Broadcast television networks, inundated with competition from cable and streaming services, have learned the power of franchises
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Your support makes all the difference.With the broadcast television season winding down and most scripted series about to go into hibernation for the summer, it's instructive to look at the power of network franchises.
Of the Nielsen company's 20 most popular scripted series on the air last week, 12 were parts of franchises ā the three āChicagoā dramas on NBC, the three āFBIā shows on CBS, for example. That's without counting the CBS comedy āYoung Sheldon,ā even though it began life as a spinoff to āThe Big Bang Theory.ā
At a time viewers are inundated with choices, particularly on the streaming services, broadcast networks have taken the power of these ideas to heart, knowing that their viewers will be attracted to familiar concepts and storylines.
That's primed to continue, since ABC announced on Tuesday they will be trying to create a new franchise out of their drama āThe Rookie,ā with a spinoff due in the fall.
CBS won the week in prime time television, averaging 4.2 million viewers. NBC had 3.2 million viewers, ABC had 2.8 million, Fox had 2 million, Univision had 1.4 million, Ion Television had 950,000 and Telemundo had 830,000.
Behind NBA playoff games, TNT led the cable networks with a 3.36 million viewer average. Fox News Channel had 2.2 million, ESPN had 2.06 million, MSNBC had 956,000 and HGTV had 927,000.
ABC's āWorld News Tonightā won the evening news ratings race with an average of 7.5 million viewers. NBC's āNightly Newsā averaged 6.2 million viewers and the āCBS Evening Newsā had 4.5 million.
For the week of May 9-15, the top 20 prime-time shows, their networks and viewerships:
1. ā60 Minutes,ā CBS, 7.44 million.
2. āFBI,ā CBS, 7.16 million.
3. āYoung Sheldon,ā CBS, 6.93 million.
4. āThe Equalizer,ā CBS, 6.84 million.
5. āChicago Fire,ā NBC, 6.61 million.
6. āChicago Med,ā NBC, 6.31 million.
7. NBA Playoffs: Dallas at Phoenix (Sunday), Turner, 6.29 million.
8. NBA Playoffs: Memphis at Golden State (Friday), ESPN, 6.28 million.
9. āFBI: International,ā CBS, 5.82 million.
10. āAmerican Idol,ā ABC, 5.57 million.
11. āChicago PD,ā NBC, 5.534 million.
12. NBA Playoffs: Boston at Milwaukee (Friday), ESPN, 5.529 million.
13. āThe Neighborhood,ā CBS, 5.48 million.
14. āSurvivor,ā CBS, 5.35 million.
15. āNCIS: Los Angeles,ā CBS, 5.33 million.
16. ā911,ā Fox, 5.3 million.
17. āFBI: Most Wanted,ā CBS, 5.28 million.
18. NBA Playoffs: Memphis at Golden State (Monday), Turner, 5.28 million.
19. āBob Hearts Abishola,ā CBS, 5.14 million.
20. NBA Playoffs: Boston at Milwaukee (Monday), Turner, 5.03 million.