It’s not the easiest of eras for broadcast TV networks, but it seems they may have found at least one magic tool to help them stay relevant as competition grows. If the latest Nielsen data is anything to go by, that’s the power of the franchise. Brandon Blake, the entertainment lawyer at Blake & Wang P.A, takes a look at the data.
Network Franchises and the Scripted Summer Hiatus
Going purely by Nielsen’s latest data, of the 20 most popular (scripted) series running at the moment, 12 were part of wider IP franchises. Up it to 13 if you want to argue Young Sheldon, once a Big Bang Theory spinoff, as another. There’s more to come, too, as ABC announces a Fall spinoff for The Rookie, too.
It’s the strongest possible indicator that broadcasters, at least, are hoping familiar storylines and beloved characters will be enough to entice viewers otherwise inundated with viewing choices on all sides.
Analyzing the Stats
How is it fairing for them? Nielsen data suggests CBS comes out ahead of the pack, with 4.2M views on average. There’s quite a drop off to NBC (3.2M), ABC (2.8M), and Fox (2M). Surprisingly, smaller broadcasters like Telemundo managed to represent, although not to break the 1M viewers threshold.
TNT came out ahead in the cable networks (likely due to the NBA playoffs) with 3.36M, followed by Fox at 2.2M and ESPN at a fraction over 2M. News-wise, ABC takes the lead, pulling in 7.5M viewers over the week period. NBC’s Nightly News managed 6.2M, and CBS’s Evening News 4.5M.
Overall, it’s clear that the beleaguered broadcast industry is sticking with ‘playing it safe’ in the scripted space and leveraging beloved IPs instead of trying to pull in new interest. While live sports and news continue to be massive drawcards, it’s otherwise a quiet environment with nothing daring being attempted to draw people away from streaming offerings.
Film and Television 