Nielsen came out with their annual ratings for 130 broadcast and cable networks. Antenna TV isn't listed, maybe because they subscribed to Nielsen less than a year ago. Me TV is the biggest ranked diginet, 30th out of all networks. Me TV actually averages more viewers than TV Land, and is closing rapidly closing on Nick at Night. Me TV's average audience in 2018 is about 14% higher than its average for 2017.

Ranked diginets I recognized (with viewers):

30. MeTV 700,000
58. Grit 339,000
68. Bounce 278,000
74. Laff 234,000
77. Escape 177,000
79. Cozi 171,000
81. Heroes and Icons 165,000
106. Comet 82,000

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.indiewire.com/2018/12/network-ratings-top-channels-espn-cnn-fox-news-cbs-nbc-abc-1202030597/amp/

It shows why MeTV's rarely changing its schedule.

They'll probably get an upgrade in advertising, unless the demographics aren't right.

I don't want these classic channels getting TOO popular. Usually when they do, they try and take advantage of the high rating numbers by adding in "original" content that nobody wants.
Nick at Nite did it as well as GSN. Both used to be great channels of only classic content until they got really popular and then the greedy bozos running the stations started adding "original" content and less of the classics that people came to see. And viewers eventually tuned out in droves.

The original content they add is almost 100% GARBAGE, IMO. This TV Land promo for Teachers, being shown currently, is a total embarrassment. Really great show, teachers throwing f bombs at little kids. What sick exec. would allow a show like this?

GSN (now called Game Show, once again), another Viacom network, is nothing like it used to be, either. They started out with classic game shows, many in black and white. Great entertainment, but no longer.

I don't want these classic channels getting TOO popular. Usually when they do, they try and take advantage of the high rating numbers by adding in "original" content that nobody wants.
Nick at Nite did it as well as GSN. Both used to be great channels of only classic content until they got really popular and then the greedy bozos running the stations started adding "original" content and less of the classics that people came to see. And viewers eventually tuned out in droves.
Cozi is already starting to do that. Adding the Office is a JTS moment.

It shows why MeTV's rarely changing its schedule.

They'll probably get an upgrade in advertising, unless the demographics aren't right.

That’s exactly the problem with Me. They go by ratings and rarely change the schedule. I still don’t understand how Hogan’s Heroes does so well in the ratings that it has to hog the same spot for years and show two episodes.

The original content they add is almost 100% GARBAGE, IMO. This TV Land promo for Teachers, being shown currently, is a total embarrassment. Really great show, teachers throwing f bombs at little kids. What sick exec. would allow a show like this?

GSN (now called Game Show, once again), another Viacom network, is nothing like it used to be, either. They started out with classic game shows, many in black and white. Great entertainment, but no longer.

And that's why I prefer the classic TV stations to stay under the radar rather than become too popular from high ratings. That's when the bozo execs start seeing $$ signs and start screwing with the content.

10 years ago I was hooked on GSN for their classic game shows and then they started dropping them in favor of their "original" crap. I still shudder a decade later when I remember that GSN train wreck called "Think like a Cat".

That was when I tuned out of that channel forever. So far, Buzzr is a great alternative, but they have such limited episodes that cycle over and over. I wish they had rights to more content.

Many older videotaped game shows were "wiped" (lost), which could explain why Buzzr shows a limited number of them. For example, I read recently that only 11 of the original Match Game (60s, on NBC daytime) episodes exist--10 b/w kinescopes and 1 color videotape. The total number of episodes aired from 1962 thru 1969 is 1760.

The good news is that Goodson and Todman had the forethought to preserve on kinescope many of their prime time (and some daytime) game show episodes from the 50s and 60s. Much of that was the basis for the original Game Show network. Ah, those were the days...

Much of that was the basis for the original Game Show network. Ah, those were the days...

What? You never one day hoped to have a 24 hr Harvey Feud network?

So with those numbers in the original post, what’s your best guess as to where Antenna and Buzzr fit in?

What? You never one day hoped to have a 24 hr Harvey Feud network?
Oh what was I thinkin'?

Clicking the link and looking at the whole thing is interesting. You find that in total viewers, and the 18-49 demo, CBS, ABC, and Fox are losing, and NBC is winning (it'd be neat to drill down and find out why). MeTV is up a whopping 14% in total viewers.

Other interesting things:

Nick/N@N are losing badly (Nick is down 29%)in total viewers. It would appear the only Viacom network doing well is MTV. VH1 is holding on.

Turner's channels (except TNT) are really doing badly, particularly CN...Teen Titans Go Away!

Other than MTV and TLC, virtually everything is losing in the 18-49 demo (where did they go?--they probably cut the cord). A few are holding their own (NBC, TNT, A&E, Ion (???), Nick (not N@N), WE, Nat Geo.

MeTV is actually in the top 30 yet my area is unlikely to ever get an affiliate. 38 spots ahead of Bounce, which I could easily do without and trade it for MeTV. :rolleyes:

Good to see MeTV doing so well and actually gaining viewers.I would guess Antenna TV is doing similar ratings wise as MeTV.

I think they are, since neither is making anything but tweaks to their schedules.

How do they get these counts on the viewer numbers for over the air channels? Do they still calculate via those "Nielson boxes"? (I've never had one and never met someone who actually did) And how can they tell what channels our televisions are tuned to if we're just using basic rabbit ear antennas? Or are we not even factored into the ratings numbers?

I can understand how it would be easy to figure cable ratings because customers are all using subscription based accounts and it's probably easy to see who's watching what on their cable boxes, but i've always wondered about those of us who just use over the air antennas. Can they still see what channels are being watched via antenna?

I once kept a diary for Nielsen. They want you to write down everything that is watched, as well as when the TV is on but no one is watching. For this they send you a dollar bill. This was back around 2004 or so.

I don't know if they still use the boxes, nor if they even do the diaries.

I once kept a diary for Nielsen. They want you to write down everything that is watched, as well as when the TV is on but no one is watching. For this they send you a dollar bill. This was back around 2004 or so.

I don't know if they still use the boxes, nor if they even do the diaries.

Yeah, I would think those Nielson boxes would be deemed outdated technology and not used anymore. My guess is they can tell instantly who's watching what via wifi connected cable boxes as well as download streaming.
I just wonder how they can calculate those of us who aren't connected and use old fashioned rabbit ears. My guess is we don't factor into the rating numbers.

I remember around the early 00's I got a Nielson offer in the mail with the booklet, but tossed it as I was too busy working at the time to watch TV much less write down everything I tuned into. Never got another offer since.

MeTV at #27 is impressive. It's sadly the only channel I can't pull in unless I splurge on a stronger antenna. It's nice to see classic channels gaining in popularity, but with all the crap airing on modern TV it's not too surprising.

I wonder why Antenna TV isn't being reported. It's the channel I most watch. Also Buzzr which I don't see there either.

Cozi TV is losing audience year to year, which shows why Indianapolis is losing Cozi TV.

MeTV does better overall than Nick, Nick at Nite, and TV Land. No diginet is in the top 50, 18-49 though.

HGTV is down 10%--I find that network very annoying with their constant bugs in the lower right corner. Cool it!

Nick is down 21%, and Nick at Nite is down 24%. Maybe they should try some other programs besides Friends. TV Land does better than the Nicks, losing only 3%.

Very impressive for MeTV.What I also found interesting but not surprising is how the ratings for the big networks ABC,CBS and NBC whose ratings were already so low compared to how they were back in the day, just continue to keep falling and falling.

Are these average primetime ratings or what are they really? Or is On Demand viewing counted as well?

Are these average primetime ratings or what are they really? Or is On Demand viewing counted as well?

Yeah,I don't really understand those numbers either.

It also seems to me that the Nielsen ratings have become very confusing.And I am just taking a wild guess.It may be because the big networks especially want to try to hide the fact of how low their ratings really are these days.

2021 network rankings:

https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/network-ratings-2021-top-channels-1235143630/amp/

Antenna TV is finally reported, and seems remarkably low on the list at #84. It's just above LAFF, and below H&I and Cozi.

Some of the bigger diginets, with average prime time viewers:

23. MeTV 752,000
38. Grit 412,000
56. Bounce 252,000
66. Start 220,000
76. H&I 191,000
77. Cozi 189,000
84. Antenna TV 143,000
85. Laff 142,000
97. Comet 100,00
103. Charge! 82,000

MeTV is in the top 25, yet Fort Wayne's horribly run branch of Comcast still refuses to put it on their system. I would still prefer its sister station Decades though, MeTV has some good stuff but way too much westerns.

2022 rankings:

https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/most-watched-channels-2022-tv-network-ratings-1235475170/amp/

Antenna's numbers are incomprehensibly small.

2022 rankings:

https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/most-watched-channels-2022-tv-network-ratings-1235475170/amp/

Antenna's numbers are incomprehensibly small.

Cozi doing better than Antenna is surprising, even more is Laff growing in ratings but Home Improvement and That 70s Show are popular, but I haven’t watched them since they dropped Empty Nest. I’m wondering how Decades is doing because that is arguably the best diginet right now.

TV Land was one of the few cable networks that did not lose audience, but the once-great Nick lost 14% at #45, to TV Land's #27. At #22, MeTV beat them both.

Cozi is impressive at #68 and is one of the few that gained viewers.

None of the diginets show up in the top 40 in the key demo, 18-49.

TV Land was one of the few cable networks that did not lose audience, but the once-great Nick lost 14% at #45, to TV Land's #27. At #22, MeTV beat them both.

Cozi is impressive at #68 and is one of the few that gained viewers.

None of the diginets show up in the top 40 in the key demo, 18-49.

Probably because Cozi picked up Columbo. METV is hemorrhaging some viewers again this year. It could be due to the fact that a lot of the Sinclair owned networks replaced METV with Charge / Comettv in key markets.

2023 rankings for some of the better-known diginets (average primetime audience):

21. MeTV 631,000
25. Grit 513,000
46. Bounce 253,000
58. Cozi 196,000
60. Start TV 190,000
67. Heroes & Icons 169,000
74. Laff 151,000
81. Defy TV 130,000
86. Antenna TV 114,000
90. Charge 102,000
91. Comet 101,000
92. Get TV 91,000
103. Catchy Comedy 69,000
114. Dabl 53,000
126. Story 40,000

https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/most-watched-channels-2023-tv-network-ratings-1235850482/

Antenna TV's numbers remain much smaller than I would expect.

MeTV's loss was paltry compared with the legacy big 3 networks (or 2, since ABC went up a point).

On the political networks Fox News paid the price for firing Tucker Carlson, MSNBC upticked a little, and CNN has fewer viewers than MeTV. You can see why MeTV sticks with Westerns, with Grit's popularity.

Yes, Antenna TV is a surprise. Defy TV is several points ahead of them and who even heard of it? I've never seen it mentioned on this site. I wonder what Antenna TV views as their competition. The Weather channel? TUDN, whatever that is? At least they're beating Get TV.

Nick at Nite is a joke--they are way behind their spinoff network, TV Land. They live to keep their X/Twitter audience happy with Friends reruns.

Let's see--Dabl is at 53,000 viewers and that's a 10% loss. We'll see if Girlfriends will do better for them than Bob Vila. WTHR here dropped Cozi for Dabl a few years ago--great move, guys! Cozi does way better in ratings but I suppose Dabl is cheaper.

Defy TV is several points ahead of them and who even heard of it?

Yeah, I had to look them up to see if they were over-the-air.

I'm not at all familiar with Comet. Practically all of the others listed in Post #32 (Defy included) I either currently receive or have in the past, and have watched at times. I feel pretty fortunate to have so much available free, over-the-air (yet I still spend inordinate amounts of time on YouTube).

I like when some of those have a particular focus, like when a network devotes weekends to biographies (Story TV unless I'm mistaken) or has a scheduled day for a reality program of interest (American Pickers on Dabl, Wednesdays).

There's some stuff I'm anxious to have return, the '60s British series The Avengers comes to mind as one I've not seen in quite a while.

METV is hemorrhaging some viewers again this year. It could be due to the fact that a lot of the Sinclair owned networks replaced METV with Charge / Comettv in key markets.

I have to say that over the past couple of years, I gradually reduced my MeTV viewing because I knew they were cutting scenes. Like everyone else here, I want the episodes to be as complete as possible, so I can't go for having stuff deliberately deleted to allow for more (or longer) commercial spots.

I'm not at all familiar with Comet.Comet is a sci-fi station, or at least was several years ago when I saw Andromeda on vacation.

I'm not at all familiar with Comet. Practically all of the others listed in Post #32 (Defy included) I either currently receive or have in the past, and have watched at times. I feel pretty fortunate to have so much available free, over-the-air (yet I still spend inordinate amounts of time on YouTube).

I like when some of those have a particular focus, like when a network devotes weekends to biographies (Story TV unless I'm mistaken) or has a scheduled day for a reality program of interest (American Pickers on Dabl, Wednesdays).

There's some stuff I'm anxious to have return, the '60s British series The Avengers comes to mind as one I've not seen in quite a while.



I have to say that over the past couple of years, I gradually reduced my MeTV viewing because I knew they were cutting scenes. Like everyone else here, I want the episodes to be as complete as possible, so I can't go for having stuff deliberately deleted to allow for more (or longer) commercial spots.

PlutoTV is probably their biggest competition right now for classic television fans. Minus the morning weekdays and Saturday schedule, they need to look at shaking up and overhauling their primetime and overnight schedule. Maybe even looking at investing into modern procedural shows to pickup better advertisers to help pay the bills (ugh). They need to drop the St. Jude , ASPCA, big Pharm adds and quick. Also Lose the 2hr All In The Family block on Sunday night and replace it with a family programming block, or make it a James Bond movie night.

For their position in the ratings, I totally agree there is something wrong with MeTV's ad sales.

Their level of advertising should be a few notches above Antenna TV, but sadly it's about the same.

For their position in the ratings, I totally agree there is something wrong with MeTV's ad sales.

Their level of advertising should be a few notches above Antenna TV, but sadly it's about the same.

I noticed Grit has the same problem with ads. The westerns are probably only popular with the 60-80 something demo and might even be hurting the channel as far as ad revenue and attracting a wider audience goes. I also noticed that the adds for LaffTV, Cozi and even H&I, are more mainsream products that are aimed at a younger audience.

They should probably move all the popular sitcoms such as Andy and the Beverly Hillbillies to the late afternoon / early evening and try something different with the weekday primetime hours.

Maybe even copy the Hallmark channel and go all out on holiday programming.

Right now, they should probably ditch a few redunant westerns and sitcoms that have been played to death. They could lose Big Valley, Have Gun Will Travel, Wanted Dead Or Alive, Rawhide and just double up on Gunsmoke, Bonanza , Wagon Train and Rifleman for the Saturday Western block All the Irwin Allen Sci-Fi shows could be dropped and replaced with a late night marathon of Dark Shadows.

The list for 2024:

https://www.indiewire.com/news/analysis/ranking-tv-channels-by-viewers-2024-1235076096/

17. MeTV 602,000
20. Grit 482,000
44. Bounce 235,000
51. Cozi 183,000
56. Laff 159,000
57. Heroes & Icons 156,000
61. Start TV 148,000
66. Charge 135,000
77. Ion Plus 116,000 (formerly Defy?)
81. Comet 103,000
87. Antenna TV 97,000
93. Get TV 83,000
99. Dabl 73,000
105. Catchy Comedy 60,000
112. Story 50,000