Why network TV is collapsing, in two data sets

[Commentary] The 2014–'15 TV season ended May 20, and over at Advertising Week, Jason Lynch pulls out the year-end Nielsen ratings data for the big four broadcast networks. He zeroes in on the numbers in the 18-to-49-year-old demographic -- the one advertisers most care about -- and as you can see, those numbers are really, really close. NBC: 2.4; CBS: 2.3; ABC: 2.2; Fox: 1.9. The real value in Lynch's post is that he compares the networks through the years, so you can see just how much the 18–49 ratings gulf has been narrowing in recent years, as more and more young viewers embrace watching on their DVRs or streaming platforms.

Look, for instance, at the final numbers for just five years ago -- the 2009–'10 TV season. Fox 3.7; CBS 3.2; ABC 2.7; NBC 2.7. Aside from NBC and Fox swapping positions, what's most interesting here is how much space there was between the top two spots in 2010, then how much space there was between CBS and the bottom two networks. (Also of note: NBC was in last place in 2010 and still posted a better number than its first-place finish in 2015.) It might be more useful to think of the 18–49 numbers for the 2014–'15 season this way: the top three networks finished in what's basically a tie for first place, with Fox just barely missing out. And not one of the four came close to its numbers from just five years ago.