Endless Bummer? TV Ratings Slump Continues

On the heels of a May that saw a double-digit decline in broadcast ratings, the summer season is getting off to a similarly draggy start. According to Nielsen C3 ratings for the final month of the 2014-15 season, deliveries of adults 18-49 fell 11 percent in broadcast prime, while cable demos were off 7 percent. This in turn appears to have had a chilling effect on the early summer ratings, as just about every returning network series has lost ground when compared to the year-ago period.

Through June 18, returning tent poles are down 20 percent in live-same-day demo ratings. Even the current highest-rated summer show, NBC's "America's Got Talent," has slipped when compared to a year ago; through the first four episodes, the competition series is down 14 percent to a 2.4 in the demo. A slate of new series isn't doing much to stop the bleeding, either. The 11 freshman shows that have premiered since mid-May are averaging a 1.1 in the demo, and the five scripted newcomers together are delivering a 0.9 rating.