There could come a day where ranking broadcast and television networks is plain pointless. Actually, considering that the majority of viewing now occurs through streaming and other methods, that moment has probably already arrived. The greatest indicator of who is watching what in the linear world is still Nielsen’s ratings, which take into account time shifting and other viewing habits in addition to live viewing.
And it’s undeniable that live sports continue to drive linear television network ESPN is one of the select few top networks to see double-digit growth in 2022. However, there are financial rewards for crime: this year, Oxygen, which NBCUniversal transformed into a true crime network few years ago, had a respectable 10% increase. Reelzchannel, which saw a massive 107% rise in 2022 (granted, from a low base), was the greatest winner as a result of the inclusion of the programme formerly known as “Live P.D.”
Most watched Television Networks of 2022:
1- CBS:
CBS is the most watched television network among adults in 2022 and it maintains their lead with 24.67 million viewers in 2019. When compared to the prior year, it is lower (which was 26.64 million). Additionally, an 11.5% decline in the audience of adults was seen.
The network debuted nine new scripted series in 2018 and 2019. Four of them were being considered for a second season, while five were cancelled. Mom, The Neighborhood, FBI, Young Sheldon, NCIS, and The Neighborhood ranked as the top 5 series in terms of audience. Of course, other programmes like The Voice and The Big Bang Theory also help the network succeed.
2- ESPN:
Dan Loeb is one of the experts who has advised that Disney break out ESPN so it may focus on other commercial ventures. Like all cable, ESPN’s future is also uncertain. Operating costs are high, and cord cutting decreases its household penetration. However, Bob Chapek showed no signs of wanting to let ESPN go, and it’s much less probable that Bob Iger, now that he’s in charge, would do the same. One of the few shining lights in cable, ESPN continues to be a potent brand.
ESPN rose 11% to an average of 1.6 million viewers in primetime last year while it battled the epidemic; in 2022, it jumped another 14% to 1.9 million. ESPN 2’s sister television network had an 8% gain. Along with it, other sports networks (such as Fox Sports 1, NFL Network, TUDN, MLB Network, and others) saw declines. The only networks in the top 5 that have improvements among adults 18-49 are ESPN and ESPN 2. (besides the unexplained increase for FXX).
3- NBC:
The “Oxygen True Crime” television network, owned by NBCUniversal, witnessed a 10% increase in primetime viewers owing to shows including “Snapped,” “Cold Justice,” “Injustice with Nancy Grace,” “Catching a Serial Killer: Sam Little,” “Kim Kardashian: The Justice Project,” and “Aaron Hernandez Uncovered.”
The network, which is already broadcast over the air as a KNBC subchannel in places like Los Angeles, recently debuted as a digital network. Reelzchannel, a lesser-known network, scored a coup by acquiring “On Patrol: Live,” a new iteration of “Live PD,” from presenter Dan Abrams and producers Big Fish. As a result, the network’s primetime ratings increased by 107%.
4- Digi-nets:
The low-budget diginet networks, which are those television networks that run on local TV subchannels, are essentially the only thing in broadcast TV these days enjoying ratings increases. The fact that Ion and Me TV air as fully fledged affiliates or owned TV stations in most cities means that they aren’t actually digital networks, despite the fact that they have been doing pretty well for years. Grit (increased 5%), Bounce (flat), Family Entertainment TV (up 14%), Cozi (up 6%), Ion Mystery (previously Court TV Mystery, up 13%), Laff (up 2%), Dabl (up 28%), Court TV (up 7%), and Cleo TV (up 44%) were among the digital networks that saw growth or at least stability this year.
5- Fox and Fox News:
The only significant broadcast television network to expand was Fox. This achievement is due to The Masked Singer. It’s a reality singing competition TV show where famous people don masks and costumes to hide their identities from the viewers, competitors, and judges. Because of the programme, Fox’s viewership increased by 4% over the previous year. However, there was a 3% decline in adult audience watching.
Contrarily, Fox News had a 1% increase in viewers despite being one of the top 5 networks in terms of viewership.
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