Is Young Sheldon a More Popular Show Than Big Bang Theory? md24

Young Sheldon has had an interesting but incredibly successful run. A prequel/spin-off series to The Big Bang Theory‘s most popular character, Sheldon Cooper, seemed like an odd, if not bad, idea when it was first announced. Every hint at Sheldon’s life before meeting the core group of The Big Bang Theory seemed sad, with many jokes being made about how Sheldon felt alone and out of place in his youth. Combined with the series going for a single-camera style as opposed to the multi-camera sitcom setup of the original series, it seemed like this was a cash grab that audiences would reject.

Yet the opposite happened. Young Sheldon built off the momentum of The Big Bang Theory, and in an age when it seemed like broadcast television could not compete with streaming services, it took off to become a massive hit. When the series premiered in September 2017, it became a must-watch television, with Season 1 averaging about 16.30 million viewers. The series is currently airing its seventh and final season and has certainly come a long way. With Big Bang Theory having been off the air for so long and Young Sheldon now being the face of the franchise, many are left wondering if Young Sheldon is the more popular series.

Big Bang Theory Drew in Bigger Ratings

When The Big Bang Theory began, it was a hit series, but it would not become the pop culture juggernaut it was for some time. Season 1 actually failed to rank among the 50 most-watched series during the television season. By Season 4, however, it became the most-watched comedy show on television, although with the target demographic of 18 to 49-year-olds, it was number two behind Modern Family.

The 2012-2013 television season was a big year for The Big Bang Theory as it hit syndication and became the most syndicated series on television. It was also the same year Season 6 of The Big Theory garnered up to 20 million viewers, and it became the highest-rated and viewed scripted show in the 18–49 demographic. Season 9 of the 2015-2016 television season averaged about 20 million viewers, and by the time the two-episode series finale was released on May 16, 2019, it brought in 18.5 million viewers. When The Big Bang Theory ended, it was regularly one of the most popular shows on television in both first-run broadcast and syndication.

Young Sheldon has had an impressive run, but unlike Big Bang Theory, which saw a rise and a steady average final season in the double-digit millions, Young Sheldon started strong but did have a notable fall. Season 1 had an average viewership of 16.30 million viewers, but by Season 4, it dropped below, averaging 10 million viewers. It is still an impressive run, with Seasons 4 through 6 averaging above 9 million viewers. While none of the seasons of Young Sheldon have been below the first season of The Big Bang Theory, it also has never risen above its predecessor from its sixth season onward in terms of ratings.

Big Bang Theory Was Helping Young Sheldon on Television

The biggest seasons of Young Sheldon were the first two seasons, which is when the series overlapped with The Big Bang Theory itself. Young Sheldon Season 1 and Big Bang Theory Season 11 aired during the 2017-2018 season, with Young Sheldon Season 2 and The Big Bang Theory Season 12 airing in the 2018 to 2019 season. In fact, they aired on CBS back to back, with The Big Bang Theory airing at 8:00 pm on CBS as the lead-in program for Young Sheldon at 8:30 pm. This certainly helped boost Young Sheldon, as its premiere brought in 17.21 million viewers, just a tad off the 17.65 from The Big Bang‘s season premiere.

However, the audience for The Big Bang Theory did not always translate to Young Sheldon. The Season 1 finale of Young Sheldon still drew 12.44 million viewers, but that was a drop from the Season 11 finale of The Big Bang Theory with 15.51 million. Season 11 was the high point for The Big Bang Theory as it was the number one program on television. Clearly, Young Sheldon is still popular, but not everyone who watched The Big Bang Theory went over to Young Sheldon.

Young Sheldon Might Be More Popular With Young Audiences on Streaming

Both The Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon are series designed to be watched together as a family. Yet The Big Bang Theory is a more traditional sitcom, focused primarily on adults, with no kids in the main cast and no series becoming parents until Season 9. This meant that while the characters, particularly Sheldon Cooper, were popular with kids, the situations might not have been as relatable to younger viewers.

Young Sheldon then might have been a show that appealed to younger viewers, outside of the target 18 to 49 demographic that most advertisers and viewers go for. While Sheldon’s family is still a big part of the series’ appeal and a way to make the series connect with both parents and kids, it is clear that Young Sheldon is aiming to capture not only fans of the original Big Bang Theory but also younger viewers who are closer in age to the main character.

This is why newly released streaming info from Neilsen shows that Young Sheldon, which streams on Netflix, Max, and Paramount+, topped all streamed content across U.S. household televisions with 1.34 billion minutes across 127 episodes. Younger audiences are more likely to partake in streaming, showing that Young Sheldon is a huge show both on broadcast and streaming.

Currently, The Big Bang Theory only streams on Max, but it is consistently one of the best-performing titles on the streaming service. It doesn’t have as many platforms to reach audiences as Young Sheldon does, but it is a great example of how streaming and broadcast can paint different, complementary pictures.

The Big Bang Theory lasted over a decade, but its prequel spinoff Young Sheldon has arguably become a surprisingly more heartfelt, sweetly funny show.

The Big Bang Theory Is a Long-Running Franchise

The Big Bang Theory premiered on Sept. 24, 2007, and aired for 12 years until May 16, 2019. Now, with Young Sheldon running for seven seasons, concluding in 2024, it means some version of the series has been on the air for 17 years. Many viewers have grown up with some form of The Big Bang Theory as part of their television line-up and likely can’t imagine a world without it. It doesn’t look like it will be ending anytime soon.

On Mar. 5, 2024, CBS officially ordered a spin-off series to Young Sheldon focused on Sheldon’s brother, Georgie Cooper (Montana Jordan), and his wife, Mandy McAllister (Emily Osment), that will air in the 2024-2025 television season. Will the series be as popular as Young Sheldon or The Big Bang Theory? Time will tell, but it will have some big shoes to fill. Hopefully, it will be able to carry the momentum of the franchise forward.

Fans of The Big Bang Theory will certainly want to tune into the series finale of Young Sheldon as Jim Parsons will make an on-camera return as Sheldon alongside Mayim Bialik as Sheldon’s wife, Amy Farrah Fowler. There will be at least one more “Bazinga” to look forward to. Young Sheldon is currently airing on CBS and streaming on Netflix, Paramount+, and Max, while The Big Bang Theory is streaming on Max.