Cable news outlets CNN, MSNBC and Fox News, buoyed by the presidential election, "had their largest audiences ever" in '16, while "many of the top entertainment channels," including TBS, SyFy, AMC and History, saw declines of 10% or more, according to Stephen Battaglio of the L.A. TIMES. Fox News during the calendar year was the "most-watched network in all of cable," averaging 2.43 million viewers in primetime, which was up 36% from '15. CNN averaged 1.29 million viewers (+77%) and MSNBC averaged 1.1 million viewers (+88%). Despite the "acclaimed" scripted program "The People Vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story," FX saw primetime viewership drop 8%. TV consultant Preston Beckman said, "If more people are watching cable news they are watching less of something else. That’s what we saw with the decline of the NFL ratings and we may be seeing that with other stuff." Battaglio notes primetime TV usage among adults 18-49 in '16 was down 5%, while cable TV usage among teenagers declined 13% (L.A. TIMES, 12/29). In N.Y., John Koblin noted for "cable television stalwarts" like TBS, ESPN, Discovery and Univision, '16 was "not a great year." Ratings for many programs, "including scripted dramas and sports, on cable and broadcast TV proved, yet again, that fewer people are watching live" (N.Y. TIMES, 12/29).
YEAR IN REVIEW: ADWEEK's Jason Lynch noted ratings among adults 18-49 during the calendar year '16 were "very good" for NBC and CBS, which broadcast Super Bowl 50, but "some of the other networks found coal in their Nielsen stocking this year." While most ratings "revolve around the September-May season," NBC was the top-rated network among the "all-important" 18-49 demo for the full year '16, with CBS finishing second. NBC also was "No. 1 for the year among millennials." Among cable networks in primetime, ESPN "took the lead" for '16, followed by TBS, USA and TNT. For total-day figures among cable nets, Adult Swim was No. 1 for the 12th consecutive year. Nick at Nite ranked second, while ESPN was third. Meanwhile, it was "no surprise" that Super Bowl 50 on CBS, featuring Broncos-Panthers, was the top telecast of the year among adults 18-49. Fox' Cubs-Indians World Series Game 7 was No. 2, followed by ABC's Cavaliers-Warriors NBA Finals Game 7, ABC's Academy Awards and AMC's "The Walking Dead" Season 7 premiere. Among individual series, "The Walking Dead" was the top series in '16 among adults 18-49 by a "wide margin." NBC's "SNF" came in second (ADWEEK.com, 12/22).
