In the broadcast ratings game for the 2024-2025 TV season (not counting sports viewership, of course), CBS reigned supreme with an average of 9.1 million viewers across linear and streaming views, and NBC came in second with 7.2 million. ABC was at a close third with 6.9 million, and Fox followed at 4.3 million.
ABC was, however, in second place when it came to the most-watched primetime series on broadcast, with six of the top 20 most-watched series (trailing CBS’s whopping 11). The top shows for the network’s primetime viewership on broadcast and streaming (with a 35-day multi-platform window), according to Nielsen, were: High Potential, tied for second with CBS’s Matlock (at 16.1 million average viewers); Will Trent in sixth (11.6 million), 9-1-1 in ninth (11.2 million); Shifting Gears in 10th (11.1 million), The Rookie in 11th (10.7 million), and Abbott Elementary closing out the top 20 (8.9 million). ABC revealed that High Potential managed to become the network’s best performer on streaming, based on seven-day viewership on Disney+ and Hulu, while 9-1-1‘s funeral episode airing May 1 brought in 9.18 million viewers, its best since November 2024.
Of the season’s offerings, only one has been canceled by ABC so far: The Conners, which concluded its series run with its Season 7 finale in April and a season average of 3.089 million. Still on the bubble for the network is Doctor Odyssey, the new Ryan Murphy-produced medical soap-drama that concluded in mid-May with an average (so far) viewership of 3.050 million for the season. The series bested network flagship series Grey’s Anatomy, which earned a 2.2 million average viewers per episode throughout Season 21 — but was officially renewed by the network — in its new timeslot of 10/9c.
The unscripted side of things remained strong for ABC in the 2024-2025 season as well, with American Idol leading the pack (4.932 million on Sundays, 4.190 on Mondays). The network touted that the season finale was the show’s most-watched telecast in two years with 6.51 million total viewers.
Dancing With the Stars was just behind it (4.877 million), followed by America’s Funniest Home Videos (3.854 million), The Golden Bachelorette (2.815 million), Shark Tank (2.811 million), Celebrity Wheel of Fortune (2.766 million), Jeopardy! Masters (2.65 million), The Bachelor (2.606 million), and 20/20 (2.450 million).
