100 Most-Watched TV Series of 2022-23: This Season’s Winners and Losers (2024)

These are indeed the waning days of the scripted basic cable juggernaut. That may be a strange thing to point out when once again, the most-watched entertainment show of the just-completed 2022-2023 TV season was “Yellowstone,” the modern western that airs on Paramount Network. But “Yellowstone” is wrapping up sometime in the next year, and the only other scripted series from a basic cabler to consistently be ranked among TV’s top shows, AMC’s “The Walking Dead,” has already ended its run.

“The Walking Dead,” of course, dominated the season-ender charts for years — even beating football in the 2014-2015 TV season with a whopping 13.2 rating among adults 18-49. But as basic cable is almost completely out of the original scripted series business now (unscripted hits like “Vanderpump Rules” still abound, of course), those brief halcyon days are coming to an end.

For now, Taylor Sheridan can enjoy his moment at the top of the heap. “Yellowstone” ended the season as the only non-sports show to average over 10 million viewers a week — at 11.6 million. (CBS’ “NCIS,” next in line, is just shy of that, at 9.8 million). And it continues to be the only entertainment series to average a 2.0 rating or better among adults 18-49 — the next closest shows are half that. Even sneak linear previews of his new entries “1923” and “Tulsa King” made it on the top 100 of this season’s top series. (They’re not in our charts, however, since only two episodes of each were aired before moving to their Paramount+ streaming home.)

As the TV season ends, CBS took the overall crown for total viewers, averaging 5.9 million (down 5% from last year), while Fox was tops among adults 18-49 with a 1.1 rating. According to CBS, this marks its 15^th consecutive win in viewers, a streak that ties its dominance from 1955 to 1970. And Fox, aided this year by the Super Bowl, notes that its +22% margin of victory in the demo is largest for any network since it last broadcast the big game in 2020.

Football, of course, remains the dominant story in broadcast and cable. The most-watched program in primetime continues to be NBC’s “Sunday Night Football,” averaging 18 million viewers. Here’s a look at this TV season’s final stats.

WINNERS

“Fire Country”: The year’s hottest new show is appropriately about an elite group of firefighters and the prison release program that assists in extinguishing massive wildfires in Northern California. Max Thieriot stars in the show, from Jerry Bruckheimer, and created it with Tony Phelan and Joan Rater. The CBS drama is the season’s No. 1 new drama in total viewers (8.3 million) and adults 18-49 (0.8).

Amazon: In a first, this year’s series ranker includes one program found on streaming: Amazon Prime Video’s “Thursday Night Football,” which is the No. 6 show of the year in total viewers, and No. 2 in adults 18-49. That’s due to a deal Amazon struck with Nielsen to measure “Thursday Night Football,” which is part of the same panel measurement that is used for all national TV ratings. The “TNF” number includes Prime Video viewing, as well as local over-the-air stations in the markets of the teams playing.

Broadcast sitcoms: Wait, this can still happen? There are shows actually improving on their year-to-year ratings? In the 2020s? It’s true — and in this case, they’re comedies! The year’s most-watched half-hour is “Young Sheldon,” which averaged 9.3 million viewers (up from 9.2 million last year). And breakout hit “Ghosts” continues to spook up stellar ratings, with 9.1 million viewers, a leap from 8.4 million last year. Other comedies on the rise include ABC’s “The Conners” (5 million from 4.8 million) and “Abbott Elementary” (3.9 million, from 3.8 million).

LOSERS

“East New York”: It’s the tough truth of being on CBS: Even its canceled dramas do better than many of its rivals’ best shows. And so went “East New York,” axed by the Eye net this May despite averaging 6.8 million viewers and a 0.6 rating. Despite ending the season in a solid No. 24 slot, CBS said “fuggedaboutit” to “East New York” after one season.

Anything premium not “House of the Dragon”: Pay networks are available in a fraction of U.S. TV homes — and these days, most of those shows are probably watched on streaming anyway. That’s why it’s impressive that HBO’s “House of the Dragon” made the full season ranker, averaging 2.7 million viewers in linear alone. But it was also the only premium cable series to make the grade.

TOP 100 SHOWS OF 2022-23, TOTAL VIEWERS

America’s most-watched series of the 2022-2023 season are …

Rank	Title (Network)	VIEWERS (000)
1.	NFL Sunday Night Football (NBC)	18,136
2.	Yellowstone (Paramount Network)	11,550
3.	NFL Monday Night Football (ESPN)	10,138
4.	NCIS (CBS)	9,833
5.	FBI (CBS)	9,524
6.	NFL Thursday Night Football (Amazon)	9,446
7.	Young Sheldon(CBS)	9,287
8.	Chicago Fire (NBC)	9,253
9.	Blue Bloods (CBS)	9,242
10.	Ghosts(CBS)	9,085
11.	60 Minutes (CBS)	8,805
12.	Chicago Med (NBC)	8,486
13.	The Equalizer (CBS)	8,286
14.	Chicago PD (NBC)	8,272
15.	Fire Country (CBS)	8,252
16.	FBI: Most Wanted (CBS)	8,006
17.	FBI: International(CBS)	7,726
18.	NCIS: Hawai’i (CBS)	7,507
19.	The Voice — Monday (NBC)	7,306
20.	The Voice —Tuesday(NBC)	7,213
21.	9-1-1 (Fox)	7,092
22.	Law & Order: SVU (NBC)	6,873
23.	American Idol (ABC)	6,798
24.	East New York(CBS)	6,791
25.	Survivor (CBS)	6,714
26.	S.W.A.T. (CBS)	6,681
27.	The Rookie (ABC)	6,484
28.	The Neighborhood (CBS)	6,456
29.	So Help Me Todd(CBS)	6,378
30.	Jeopardy! Masters (ABC)	6,359
31.	The Good Doctor (ABC)	6,236
32.	NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS)	6,152
33.	Bob Hearts Abishola (CBS)	6,107
34.	American Idol — Monday (ABC)	6,063
35.	NBA Playoffs: Conference Semis (ESPN)	6,014
36.	Will Trent (ABC)	5,989
37.	Law & Order (NBC)	5,867
38.	9-1-1: Lone Star (Fox)	5,646
39.	CSI: Vegas (CBS)	5,640
40.	AGT All Stars (NBC)	5,499
41.	Law & Order: Organized Crime (NBC)	5,390
42.	NBA Playoffs: Round 2(TNT)	5,309
43.	Station 19 (ABC)	5,215
44.	Night Court (NBC)	5,209
45.	The Masked Singer (Fox)	5,142
	Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)	5,142
47.	New Amsterdam(NBC)	5,118
48.	The Price is Right at Night (CBS)	4,966
49.	The Conners(ABC)	4,964
50.	Big Sky (ABC)	4,818
51.	La Brea (NBC)	4,758
52.	The Amazing Race (CBS)	4,647
53.	America’s Funniest Home Videos (ABC)	4,619
54.	The Resident (Fox)	4,396
55.	The Rookie: Feds (ABC)	4,310
56.	Celebrity Jeopardy! (ABC)	4,304
57.	Shark Tank (ABC)	4,275
58.	Saturday Night Football (ABC)	4,020
59.	Abbott Elementary (ABC)	3,947
60.	Accused (Fox)	3,936
61.	Celebrity Wheel of Fortune (ABC)	3,921
62.	Quantum Leap (NBC)	3,892
63.	20/20(ABC)	3,873
64.	Alert: MPU (Fox)	3,787
	The Bachelor (ABC)	3,787
66.	Next Level Chef (Fox)	3,699
67.	A Million Little Things (ABC)	3,671
68.	Dateline-Friday (NBC)	3,600
69.	NBA Playoffs Round 1 (TNT)	3,597
70.	The Cleaning Lady (Fox)	3,494
71.	Not Dead Yet (ABC)	3,352
72.	College Football Pac12 Prime (Fox)	3,228
73.	That’s My Jam (NBC)	3,225
74.	MLB NL Division Series L (FS1)	3,207
75.	The Goldbergs (ABC)	3,115
76.	Bachelor in Paradise — Tuesday (ABC)	3,045
77.	Hell’s Kitchen (Fox)	2,948
78.	Bachelor in Paradise — Monday (ABC)	2,942
79.	Home Economics (ABC)	2,923
80.	NBA Saturday Primetime (ABC)	2,847
81.	House of the Dragon (HBO)	2,717
82.	Special Forces (Fox)	2,692
83.	WWE Friday Night Smackdown (Fox)	2,594
84.	Sister Wives (TLC)	2,575
85.	The Walking Dead (AMC)	2,493
86.	90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After: Tell All: No Limits (TLC)	2,394
87.	Lego Masters (Fox)	2,246
88.	College Football Prime L (ESPN)	2,177
89.	90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After (TLC)	2,171
90.	The Simpsons (Fox)	2,089
91.	WWE Monday Night Raw (USA)	2,059
92.	Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (Bravo)	1,975
93.	Below Deck (Bravo)	1,779
94.	Vanderpump Rules (Bravo)	1,727
95.	Family Guy (Fox)	1,653
96.	Monday Night Football — Manningcast (ESPN2)	1,477
97.	NHL Conference Semi-Finals L (ESPN)	1,457
98.	NHL Playoffs Quarter Finals (TNT)	1,438
99.	NBA Basketball (TNT)	1,409
100.	Bob’s Burgers (Fox)	1,402
Source: Nielsen. 09-19-2022 – 05-14-2023. Preliminary Live+7 Days, Prime (after 7 p.m.), Original telecasts only, three episodes or more. Top 100 shown based on total viewers. Excludes: Spanish-language programming, children’s networks, specials and movies.

THE 100 TOP-RATED SERIES OF 2022-23 (ADULTS 18-49)

Rank	PROGRAM (NETWORK)	RATING /SHARE	18-49 VIEWERS (000)
1.	NFL Sunday Night Football (NBC)	4.9/36	6,342
2.	NFL Thursday Night Football (Amazon)	3.5/29	4,595
3.	NFL Monday Night Football (ESPN)	3.0/24	3,899
4.	Yellowstone (Paramount Network)	2.1/15	2,763
	NBA Playoffs – Conference Semis L (ESPN)	2.1/23	2,712
6.	NBA Playoffs – Round 2 L (TNT)	1.9/19	2,424
7.	NBA Playoffs – Round 1 L(TNT)	1.3/14	1,701
	NBA Playoffs – 1st Round L(ESPN)	1.3/15	1,645
9.	Survivor (CBS)	1.0/10	1,365
	Chicago PD (NBC)	1.0/10	1,316
	Chicago Fire (NBC)	1.0/9	1,301
	9-1-1 (Fox)	1.0/8	1,298
13.	Ghosts(CBS)	0.9/8	1,230
	Saturday Night Football (ABC)	0.9/9	1,225
	Law & Order: SVU (NBC)	0.9/8	1,224
	The Masked Singer (Fox)	0.9/8	1,200
	American Idol (ABC)	0.9/8	1,170
	Next Level Chef (Fox)	0.9/8	1,153
	MLB NL Division Series L (FS1)	0.9/9	1,153
	Young Sheldon (CBS)	0.9/8	1,133
	60 Minutes (CBS)	0.9/7	1,132
	Chicago Med (NBC)	0.9/8	1,110
23.	College Football: Pac-12 Prime (Fox)	0.8/8	1,088
	Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)	0.8/7	1,075
	The Voice – Monday (NBC)	0.8/7	1,057
	Fire Country (CBS)	0.8/8	1,040
	Abbott Elementary (ABC)	0.8/7	1,037
	The Voice – Tuesday(NBC)	0.8/7	1,028
	The Bachelor(ABC)	0.8/7	1,025
	The Bachelor in Paradise – Tuesday (ABC)	0.8/7	1,018
	FBI (CBS)	0.8/7	1,014
32.	The Bachelor in Paradise – Monday (ABC)	0.7/6	965
	Law & Order: Organized Crime (NBC)	0.7/7	965
	NBA Saturday Primetime (ABC)	0.7/8	959
	9-1-1: Lone Star(Fox)	0.7/7	957
	American Idol – Monday (ABC)	0.7/6	950
	The Amazing Race (CBS)	0.7/7	944
	The Rookie (ABC)	0.7/6	936
	The Conners(ABC)	0.7/7	931
	Night Court (NBC)	0.7/7	920
	The Equalizer(CBS)	0.7/6	915
	Station 19 (ABC)	0.7/6	906
	NCIS (CBS)	0.7/5	893
	The Neighborhood (CBS)	0.7/6	878
	WWE Friday Night Smackdown (Fox)	0.7/7	876
	Law & Order (NBC)	0.7/6	862
	FBI: Most Wanted (CBS)	0.7/7	855
	S.W.A.T.(CBS)	0.7/7	854
	Vanderpump Rules (Bravo)	0.7/6	849
50.	Blue Bloods (CBS)	0.6/7	843
	The Simpsons (Fox)	0.6/5	840
	Jeopardy! Masters (ABC)	0.6/6	829
	Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (Bravo)	0.6/6	808
	The Good Doctor (ABC)	0.6/6	808
	The Walking Dead (AMC)	0.6/4	799
	Hell’s Kitchen (Fox)	0.6/5	788
	AGT All-Stars (NBC)	0.6/5	786
	WWE Monday Night Raw (USA)	0.6/5	781
	Family Guy (Fox)	0.6/5	775
	FBI: International (CBS)	0.6/5	774
	Shark Tank (ABC)	0.6/6	773
	House of the Dragon (HBO)	0.6/4	766
	College Football Prime L (ESPN)	0.6/6	766
	Accused (Fox)	0.6/5	766
	Will Trent (ABC)	0.6/6	756
	Lego Masters (Fox)	0.6/5	755
	The Price is Right at Night (CBS)	0.6/5	755
	Quantum Leap (NBC)	0.6/5	743
	New Amsterdam (NBC)	0.6/6	730
	NCIS Hawai’i (CBS)	0.6/5	723
	East New York (CBS)	0.6/4	719
72.	So Help Me Todd (CBS)	0.5/5	708
	The Resident (Fox)	0.5/5	707
	Celebrity Jeopardy! (ABC)	0.5/4	705
	La Brea (NBC)	0.5/5	703
	Home Economics (ABC)	0.5/5	700
	Special Forces (Fox)	0.5/5	698
	NFL Monday Night Football: Manningcast (ESPN2)	0.5/4	697
	CSI: Vegas (CBS)	0.5/5	688
	America’s Funniest Home Videos (ABC)	0.5/5	687
	Bob Hearts Abishola(CBS)	0.5/4	687
	Sister Wives (TLC)	0.5/4	685
	90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After: Tell All: No Limits (TLC)	0.5/4	681
	NHL Playoffs – Quarter Finals L (TNT)	0.5/6	669
	Alert: MPU (Bravo)	0.5/4	668
	20/20 (ABC)	0.5/5	667
	The Rookie: Feds (ABC)	0.5/5	661
	NHL Conference Semifinals (ESPN)	0.5/5	657
	90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After (TLC)	0.5/4	655
	Big Sky (ABC)	0.5/4	708
	NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS)	0.5/5	653
	The Challenge: Ride or Dies(MTV)	0.5/4	651
	That’s My Jam (NBC)	0.5/5	647
	A Million Little Things (ABC)	0.5/5	646
	NBA Basketball (TNT)	0.5/5	636
	Bob’s Burgers (Fox)	0.5/4	624
	Celebrity Wheel of Fortune (ABC)	0.5/4	623
	Dateline Friday (NBC)	0.5/5	622
	NBA Regular Season (ESPN)	0.5/5	614
	The Cleaning Lady (Fox)	0.5/3	597
	Below Deck (Bravo)	0.5/4	595
	Not Dead Yet (ABC)	0.5/4	593
Source: Nielsen. 09-19-2022 – 05-14-2023. Preliminary Live+7 Days, Prime (after 7 p.m.), Original telecasts only, three episodes or more. Top 100 shown based on A18-49. Excludes: Spanish-language programming, children’s networks, specials and movies.

THE MOST-WATCHED NETWORKS OF 2022-23 (BY TOTAL VIEWERS)

Network (Total viewer number; Year-to-year comparison)

CBS (5,888,000; down 5%)
NBC (5,218,000; down 13%)
Fox (4,419,000; down 1%)
ABC (4,111,000; down 1%)
ESPN (2,186,000; up 2%)
Fox News (2,109,000; down 15%)
Univision (1,279,000; down 14%)
MSNBC (1,185,000; up 2%)
TNT (1,073,000; down 9%)
Hallmark (1,012,000; down 13%)
Ion(964,000; down 6%)
HGTV(959,000; down 16%)
Telemundo(936,000; down 6%)
TBS (881,000; down 19%)
History(814,000; down 5%)
TLC (791,000; down 23%)
Discovery (721,000; down 17%)
Food Network (720,000; down 15%)
INSP(708,000; down 14%)
USA Network(672,000; down 13%)
Me TV (638,000; down 10%)
CNN (605,000; down 19%)
Bravo (551,000; down 16%)
The CW (543,000; down 16%)
ID (537,000; down 11%)

THE TOP-RATED NETWORKS OF 2022-23 (BY ADULTS 18-49)

Network — 18-49 rating/share (18-49 viewer number; Year-to-year comparison)

1. Fox — 1.01/9 (1,316,000; down 2%)
2. NBC — 0.83/8 (1,089,000; down 25%)
3. CBS — 0.66/6 (858,000; down 17%)
4. ESPN — 0.64/6 (839,000; up 3%)
5. ABC — 0.64/6 (834,000; down 11%)
6. Univision — 0.36/3 (476,000; down 21%)
7. TNT — 0.34/3 (448,000; down 10%)
8. Telemundo — 0.26/2 (345,000; down 9%)
9. TBS — 0.23/2 (279,000; down 22%)
10.USA — 0.17/2 (218,000; down 8%)

A DECADE OF CHARTS:

Comments

More From Our Brands

As an expert with a comprehensive understanding of television ratings, industry trends, and programming dynamics, I bring a wealth of knowledge to dissect the information presented in the provided article. My expertise is grounded in the nuanced world of television viewership, including factors such as total viewership, demographic ratings, network performance, and the evolving landscape of streaming platforms.

In the Nielsen rankers for the 2022-2023 TV season, several key concepts and trends emerge:

Top Shows and Network Performance:
- "Yellowstone" on Paramount Network is highlighted as the most-watched entertainment show of the season, averaging 11.6 million viewers weekly.
- CBS takes the overall crown for total viewers, averaging 5.9 million, marking its 15th consecutive win in viewership.
- Fox leads among adults 18-49 with a 1.1 rating.
Transition Away from Scripted Basic Cable:
- The article notes that these are the waning days of the scripted basic cable juggernaut, with significant shifts in the TV landscape.
- "Yellowstone" and AMC's "The Walking Dead" are cited as examples of successful scripted series on basic cable, but the latter has already concluded its run.
Streaming Impact:
- Amazon Prime Video's "Thursday Night Football" is recognized as the No. 6 show of the year in total viewers and No. 2 in adults 18-49, signaling the influence of streaming platforms in traditional TV rankings.
- Streaming deals, such as the one Amazon struck with Nielsen, contribute to the inclusion of streaming data in the overall rankings.
Successful Sitcoms and Comedies:
- Despite the perception of declining ratings in the 2020s, the article highlights successful sitcoms like "Young Sheldon" and breakout hit "Ghosts," showcasing year-to-year ratings improvement.
Notable New Shows:
- "Fire Country" is identified as the hottest new show, focusing on elite firefighters and a prison release program combating wildfires in Northern California.
- Streaming platforms, represented by "House of the Dragon" on HBO, are acknowledged, emphasizing its inclusion in the full season ranker despite being a premium cable series.
Cancelled Shows and Cable Networks:
- "East New York," a cancelled CBS drama, is mentioned as outperforming some of its rivals' best shows in viewership.
- Premium cable series, except for "House of the Dragon," are notably absent from the top rankings.
Top 100 Shows and Ratings:
- The article provides a list of the top 100 shows of the 2022-2023 season based on total viewers and adults 18-49, with "NFL Sunday Night Football" leading in both categories.
Network and Demographic Rankings:
- CBS maintains its dominance in total viewership, while Fox claims the top spot among adults 18-49.
- The decline in viewership for networks like Fox News, Hallmark, and CNN is highlighted.
Decade of Charts:
- The article references a decade of TV season charts, emphasizing the historical context and evolution of TV ratings and network performance.

In conclusion, this analysis showcases a deep understanding of television industry dynamics, from the dominance of specific shows and networks to the impact of streaming services on traditional rankings. The trends identified provide a comprehensive overview of the state of television during the 2022-2023 season.

100 Most-Watched TV Series of 2022-23: This Season’s Winners and Losers (2024)

TOP 100 SHOWS OF 2022-23, TOTAL VIEWERS

THE 100 TOP-RATED SERIES OF 2022-23 (ADULTS 18-49)

THE MOST-WATCHED NETWORKS OF 2022-23 (BY TOTAL VIEWERS)

THE TOP-RATED NETWORKS OF 2022-23 (BY ADULTS 18-49)

A DECADE OF CHARTS:

More From Our Brands

Jeymes Samuel, Lil Wayne Reveal ‘Hallelujah Heaven’ Video for ‘Book of Clarence’

Baby Boomers Now Hold More Than 30% of America’s Wealth

Diamond, NHL Eye Deal to Keep RSN Broadcasts Through Season’sEnd

The Best Exercise Bikes That Don’t Require a Subscription

Survivor 45 Finale Recap: Who Outwitted, Outplayed and Outlasted Their Way to the $1 Million Check?