2024’s Most Watched TV Networks: CBS, NBC, ABC Win Big

2024 is coming to an end and Variety has revealed the most-watched channels of the year, with CBS, NBC, and ABC leading the charge, respectively. Coming in at fourth place is Fox, followed by Fox News, MSNBC, Univision, and Telemundo. Ion surprisingly closes out the list at number 10, likely because of the amount of fan-favorites shows that are syndicated on it.

Variety reports that CBS owes its viewership numbers to Super Bowl LVII as live sports continues to work wonders for most networks. NBC saw an increase and was the top network for adults 18-49, thanks to the summer Paris Olympics. ABC was down 1% from last year but still saw major viewerships because of Monday Night Football. Fox, meanwhile, was down double digits, but having aired the Super Bowl in 2023, it was to be expected.

CBS, NBC, and ABC were not only big hitters for sports, but for linear entertainment in the fall as well, thanks to new shows such as CBS’ Matlock, ABC’s High Potential, and NBC’s Happy’s Place, all of which have been getting rave reviews and high ratings. CBS also probably has last season’s freshman drama Tracker to thank as well, which saw record-breaking views after premiering after the Super Bowl.

Meanwhile, Spanish-language channel Telemundo ties CBS for the biggest jump in broadcast, up 12% from last year. Digital networks such as Justice Central and American Crimes also saw some minor growth, while Fox News was up 30% and was the most-watched news network. MSNBC and CNN also saw some rise in viewership, most likely due to the Presidential Election. Newsnation, on the other hand, saw a 1% decrease. NFL Network and NBA TV were down as well, while the Big Ten Network saw an increase.

Going off of the most-watched networks, it’s likely CBS, NBC, and ABC will come out on top when it comes to primetime telecasts, which will be revealed soon. There will probably be some strong contenders making it to the list, with a mix between veteran and new shows. Election coverage might be sneaking onto the list as well as sports. Regardless, it was certainly an interesting year for television, especially after shows came back at the beginning of the year following the strikes as Hollywood slowly went back to normal.

The top 20 includes TNT, Hallmark Channel, HGTV, TBS, CNN, USA, History, Me TV, Discovery Channel, and INSP, so it’s a pretty diverse list of networks. And it should be fun to see how that changes in 2025.