The Ideal Release Time For a Network TV Show Has Recently Shifted

17.05.2025 00:48

In the 1990s and early 2000s, if you were watching network TV, the best, most serious shows always came on at 10:00 p.m. But not anymore. With rare exceptions, the most popular network TV shows are now released at 8:00 p.m., at least according to a new report from Deadline.

"Things have changed over the past few years as linear ratings have eroded amid a shift in viewing habits," Nellie Andreeva writes for Deadline. There's a lot of data to sift through, but if you find yourself only wanting to watch network shows airing in the 8:00 p.m. slot, the numbers indicate you're not alone. While it's tempting to say that nobody watches network TV anymore, the truth is, streaming did not kill network TV at all, and "linear" TV is not just making a comeback, but is fairly healthy at the moment.

There's a ton of numbers to sift through, but, for the most part, shows that are doing well, like Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, Chicago Med, and The Voice, all air at 8:00 p.m. The biggest exception that Deadline highlights is the ABC series High Potential, which has done well in the 10:00 p.m. slot. To be clear, you can also stream the show on Hulu, but for ABC, this show has been a breakout hit.

The flipside of this is NBC's Grosse Pointe Gardens, which used to be in a 10:00 p.m. slot, but then gained 40 percent higher viewership when it moved to 8:00 p.m. on Fridays.

If you watch your shows exclusively on streaming, some of these numbers might not matter much to you. But, consider this: The reason why shows stay on the air, or, often, end up on streaming, still can be impacted by viewership from regular old network TV. The 90s are long over, and it looks like the most-watched shows are likely going to be on a little earlier.