Super Bowl, Oscars, NCIS, Blue Bloods, NFL

The twin Hollywood strikes worn out a lot of the scripted programming this fall on the linear networks. And but, in accordance with Selection‘s annual record of the yr’s 100 most-watched primetime telecasts, we truly watched extra leisure fare this yr. CBS’ “NCIS” led the pack in 2023 with 12 episodes making the record, adopted by the Eye’s “Blue Bloods,” with 5.

Amongst common episodic leisure fare, the ranker included 35 entries — and it was represented by a wider vary of exhibits. A part of that’s as a result of Paramount Community’s “Yellowstone” solely aired one episode in 2023, liberating up extra space for others.

Apart from “NCIS” and “Blue Bloods,” different common collection with a number of episodes on the ranker embody CBS’ “FBI,” NBC’s “Chicago Fireplace” and CBS’ “Younger Sheldon,” at 4 every. On the information entrance, CBS’ “60 Minutes” continues to be a dominant pressure (its NFL lead-in doesn’t harm), touchdown seven slots this yr.

Make no mistake, the NFL nonetheless guidelines primetime, and that halo impact is actual. Our ranker of the most-watched primetime telecasts in 2023 discovered that 56 slots went to sports activities — damaged down by 45 NFL video games, six for the NBA Finals, three for NCAA Basketball March Insanity, and one every for faculty soccer and Fox’s “The OT” NFL postgame present. (There have been no Olympics this yr, and a dud of a World Sequence stored baseball out of the ranker.)

We additionally watched extra of TV’s signature dwell occasions this yr. After all, that was led by Tremendous Bowl LVII in February, when a median of practically 115 million viewers watched the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles. There’s a continued pattern upward from Tremendous Bowl LVI in 2022 (100 million) and Tremendous Bowl LV in 2021 (92.9 million).

Additionally on an upward climb is the Oscars, the yr’s most-watched leisure telecast. Again on March 12, 19.4 million folks noticed “Every part In all places All at As soon as” take the very best image prize — up from 17.6 million in 2022, and from a dismal 2021 when the ceremony didn’t even make the ranker.

However the Oscars isn’t the one massive awards present making a pleasant restoration: CBS’ Grammys kudocast leapt as much as No. 36 — vs. No. 97 final yr — averaging 13.4 million viewers, in comparison with 10.2 million viewers in 2022.

RELATED: Most-Watched Tv Networks: Rating 2023’s Winners and Losers

Amongst all shops, CBS prolonged its lead with essentially the most packages on the ranker, with 39 (up from 29 final yr). That’s all of the extra spectacular as a result of a lot of the Eye’s most-watched exhibits in primetime are collection episodes, as its NFL bundle is through the day and never counted right here.

Subsequent is NBC with 24 (vs. 26 final yr), then ABC (15), Prime Video (11), Fox (7), ESPN (2) and one every for TNT and Paramount. (As we talked about final yr, Amazon Prime Video is as soon as once more on the highest telecasts chart this yr because of NFL Thursday Evening Soccer, which is measured by Nielsen — because of watermarks/tags included within the content material and picked up by Nielsen encoders. It additionally consists of viewing from the 2 native stations within the markets of the 2 groups enjoying every week.)

Listed below are among the winners of 2023:

Freshman collection: NBC’s “Evening Courtroom,” Fox’s “Accused” and CBS’ “Fireplace Nation” have been all newbies with episodes making the reduce. These “Accused” and “Fireplace Nation” episodes have been strategically positioned airings behind NFL soccer, whereas NBC found that sure, revivals and reboots are nonetheless a viable option to generate a large viewers.

The Oscars and the Grammys: Who says awards exhibits are lifeless? Properly, all of us do. However but, the Academy Awards viewership is on a gentle comeback, and will see a bump once more in 2024 because of the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon. After the 2021 catastrophe — by which it didn’t even make the record of the yr’s 100 most-watched telecasts, with a paltry 10.7 million viewers — the 2022 slap version averaged 17.6 million viewers. And with host Jimmy Kimmel returning to his rightful place as host in 2023, the telecast is now again flirting with 20 million viewers on linear. And as for the Grammys, there’s an analogous climb again to relevance, with 13.4 million viewers in 2023 (vs 10.2 million viewers in 2022).

“Subsequent Stage Chef”: Wow, does Fox love this Gordon Ramsay collection. Final yr, the premiere aired behind the NFC championship — making it the largest collection telecast of the yr with adults aged 18-49. This yr, the Season 2 premiere aired behind the Tremendous Bowl — as soon as once more making it the most-watched leisure telecast of the yr within the demo.

Comedy: The laughs are again! After sitcoms missed being on the highest 100 ranker utterly final yr, CBS’ “Younger Sheldon” saved the day with 4 episodes. And NBC’s “Evening Courtroom” premiere additionally made the grade.

NFL soccer: I do know, it’s getting previous to say this. Apart from nothing coming near the Tremendous Bowl, the NFL held 14 of the highest 15 slots this yr.

Under, our rankings roundup of the yr’s most-watched telecasts (in Stay+7 rankings), in accordance with broadcast and cable measurements, in each complete viewers and adults 18-49.

For historic document, listed here are earlier year-end telecast rankers: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015.

MOST-WATCHED PRIMETIME TELECASTS OF 2023 (TOTAL VIEWERS)

THE 50 TOP-RATED PRIMETIME TELECASTS OF 2023 (ADULTS 18-49)