Now that your broadcast-TV favorites are on holiday break, TVLine is looking at how each network’s shows are stacking up thus far in the 2024-25 TV season. We kicked off with ABC, and today turn our attention to CBS.
Listed below is the average TOTAL AUDIENCE for each CBS series (including delayed Live+7 playback). Alongside that is the DEMO RATING (Adults 18-49) for each program, as well as any noteworthy PERFORMANCE NOTES.
Each program’s RANK represents how it is faring in total audience compared to other shows on CBS.
| CBS (FALL 2024) | TOTAL VIEWERS | DEMO RATING | PERFORMANCE NOTES | |
| 1 | Tracker | 11.4 million | 0.82 | Broadcast’s most-watched scripted series and #1-rated drama; audience +6% from Season 1, now in earlier Sunday time slot |
| 2 | Matlock | 10 million | 0.59 | Broadcast’s 2nd most-watched scripted series, most-watched new show; 38% bigger audience than So Help Me Todd, with 57% better retention out of Ghosts |
| 3 | 60 Minutes | 8.9 million | 0.90 | Broadcast’s #2-rated non-sports program |
| 4 | Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage | 7.98 million | 0.60 | TV’s most-watched, #2-rated comedy; 14% smaller audience than sire Young Sheldon |
| 5 | FBI | 7.97 million | 0.51 | |
| 6 | Blue Bloods | 7.9 million | 0.46 | Broadcast TV’s 4th most-watched drama |
| 7 | Elsbeth | 7.7 million | 0.45 | Audience up 4% vs. Season 1 |
| 8 | NCIS | 7.6 million | 0.52 | Audience -21% vs. last season |
| 9 | Ghosts | 7.5 million | 0.66 | TV’s top-rated, 2nd-most watched comedy |
| 10 | The Equalizer | 6.5 million | 0.44 | Audience down 18% in later Sunday time slot |
| 11 | FBI: International | 6.46 million | 0.42 | |
| 12 | Fire Country | 6.4 million | 0.55 | Audience -12% vs. last season |
| 13 | FBI: Most Wanted | 6.3 million | 0.42 | Audience -12% vs. last season |
| 14 | NCIS: Origins | 6 million | 0.41 | 1% lower audience retention out of NCIS than NCIS: Hawai’i |
| 15 | Survivor | 5.95 million | 0.91 | Broadcast’s #1-rated non-sports program; TV’s second-most watched, #1-rated reality show |
| 16 | S.W.A.T. | 5.6 million | 0.47 | Audience down just 8% vs. last season, demo steady |
| 17 | The Neighborhood | 4.7 million | 0.46 | Audience -17% vs. last season |
| 18 | Poppa’s House | 4 million | 0.41 | 8% lower audience retention out of The Neighborhood than Bob Hearts Abishola |
| 19 | 48 Hours | 2.9 million | 0.27 | |
| 20 | The Summit | 2.7 million | 0.31 | 20% lower retention out of Survivor than The Amazing Race (in fall 2023) |
THE TVLINE BOTTOM LINE: CBS’ schedule changes for the fall included some huge wins (Matlock building on Ghosts‘ audience and Elsbeth rising in kind, Tracker getting even bigger in Sunday’s lead-off spot)… one loss (precious few Survivor fans stuck around to brave The Summit)… and at least one wash (NCIS: Origins is nearly matching Hawai’i‘s retention out of a worryingly waning NCIS). Benching the well-watched Blue Bloods is clearly going to sting and put pressure on Friday’s new NCIS: Sydney/Fire Country/S.W.A.T. slate. Overall, though, the Eye’s highs — as detailed by the superlatives above — are unarguably high, which is a nice reward for a broadcaster that opted to field a rrrrobust 14 hours of scripted shows.
