HBO’s Game of Thrones returned for its seventh season with record ratings (more on that at this link), and that starts the show off at Number 2 in the Scorecard. It couldn’t quite dethrone The Walking Dead, but I expect it to narrow the margin by season end and possibly even overtake that show next year.
The Strain was already in the Scorecard because its third season aired in Fall, and its Summer debut managed to bump it up to the Number 26 slot (up from Number 46). AMC’s Preacher slipped to Number 45 (down from Number 38) despite improving its numbers last week, but I expect it to start climbing back up soon. Killjoys, Zoo, and The Mist saw some slight improvements due to their ratings gains, but most of the rest of the movement on the Scorecard was just incidental.
The scorecard ranks all of the sci fi & fantasy shows’ ratings performance vs. their network’s ratings benchmark (see definition below). Shows at or above their benchmark should be okay, whereas those slipping notably below are getting into iffy territory.
Scorecard based on the ratings through July 16th (metric definitions below):
| Rank (PW) | Series | Net | Std Avg | Net Bench | % Var | Live+7 Avg Rtg | Status |
| 1 (1) | The Walking Dead (O) | AMC | 5.39 | 0.60 | 798.2% | 7.95 | Renewed |
| 2 (n/a) | Game of Thrones (O) | HBO | 4.71 | 0.60 | 685.0% | n/a | Renewed |
| 3 (2) | American Horror Story (O) | FX | 1.58 | 0.60 | 162.5% | 3.16 | Renewed |
| 4 (3) | The Flash (O) | CW | 1.06 | 0.50 | 112.2% | 1.88 | Renewed |
| 5 (4) | Fear the Walking Dead (O) | AMC | 0.98 | 0.60 | 62.8% | 1.83 | Renewed |
| 6 (5) | The Magicians | Syfy | 0.31 | 0.20 | 54.6% | 0.71 | Renewed |
| 7 (6) | Supergirl (O) | CW | 0.72 | 0.50 | 45.2% | 1.28 | Renewed |
| 8 (7) | Star Wars Rebels (O) | DXD | 0.14 | 0.10 | 44.7% | 0.34 | Renewed |
| 9 (8) | American Gods | STARZ | 0.28 | 0.20 | 38.1% | 0.55 | Renewed |
| 10 (9) | Westworld | HBO | 0.80 | 0.60 | 33.8% | 1.50 | Renewed |
| 11 (10) | Into the Badlands | AMC | 0.79 | 0.60 | 31.5% | 1.30 | Renewed |
| 12 (11) | Son of Zorn (O) | FOX | 1.28 | 0.98 | 30.2% | n/a | Cancelled |
| 13 (12) | Legends of Tomorrow (O) | CW | 0.64 | 0.50 | 28.8% | 1.13 | Renewed |
| 14 (13) | Arrow (O) | CW | 0.63 | 0.50 | 25.7% | 1.12 | Renewed |
| 15 (14) | Z Nation | Syfy | 0.25 | 0.20 | 24.3% | 0.42 | Renewed |
| 16 (15) | Supernatural (O) | CW | 0.60 | 0.50 | 19.6% | 1.07 | Renewed |
| 17 (16) | Gotham | FOX | 1.09 | 0.98 | 10.7% | 1.80 | Renewed |
| 18 (18) | Lucifer | FOX | 1.03 | 0.98 | 4.8% | 1.77 | Renewed |
| 19 (17) | Shadowhunters | Free | 0.26 | 0.25 | 4.8% | 0.43 | Renewed |
| 20 (19) | Stan Against Evil | IFC | 0.08 | 0.08 | -4.7% | n/a | Renewed |
| 21 (20) | The Librarians | TNT | 0.47 | 0.50 | -5.2% | 0.88 | Renewed |
| 22 (21) | Channel Zero | Syfy | 0.19 | 0.20 | -5.8% | 0.38 | Renewed |
| 23 (22) | The Last Man on Earth (O) | FOX | 0.91 | 0.98 | -7.0% | 1.48 | Renewed |
| 24 (23) | The Good Place (O) | NBC | 1.25 | 1.35 | -7.4% | 1.91 | Renewed |
| 25 (24) | Colony | USA | 0.26 | 0.30 | -12.6% | 0.60 | Renewed |
| 26 (46) | The Strain | FX | 0.52 | 0.60 | -13.3% | 0.85 | Renewed |
| 27 (25) | MacGyver (O) (F) | CBS | 1.08 | 1.26 | -14.9% | 1.67 | Renewed |
| 28 (27) | The Expanse | Syfy | 0.17 | 0.20 | -15.0% | 0.39 | Renewed |
| 29 (28) | Timeless | NBC | 1.11 | 1.35 | -17.6% | 2.07 | Renewed |
| 30 (26) | Blood Drive | Syfy | 0.16 | 0.20 | -18.0% | n/a | Renewal Possible |
| 31 (29) | People of Earth | TBS | 0.33 | 0.40 | -18.1% | n/a | Renewed |
| 32 (33) | Zoo (O) | Syfy | 0.57 | 0.70 | -19.0% | n/a | Cancellation Likely |
| 33 (30) | Incorporated | Syfy | 0.16 | 0.20 | -20.0% | 0.34 | Cancelled |
| 33 (35) | Killjoys | Syfy | 0.16 | 0.20 | -20.0% | n/a | Renewal Possible |
| 35 (31) | Aftermath | Syfy | 0.16 | 0.20 | -20.8% | 0.33 | Cancelled |
| 36 (32) | Van Helsing | Syfy | 0.16 | 0.20 | -21.3% | 0.30 | Renewed |
| 37 (34) | Ash vs Evil Dead | STARZ | 0.16 | 0.20 | -21.5% | 0.34 | Renewed |
| 38 (39) | The Mist | Spike | 0.16 | 0.20 | -22.5% | 0.50 | On the Bubble |
| 39 (37) | Once Upon A Time (O) | ABC | 0.93 | 1.21 | -23.1% | 1.53 | Renewed |
| 40 (36) | Dark Matter | Syfy | 0.15 | 0.20 | -23.3% | 0.40 | Renewal Possible |
| 41 (40) | Guardians of the Galaxy | DXD | 0.08 | 0.10 | -24.0% | n/a | On the Bubble |
| 42 (41) | Vampire Diaries (O) (F) | CW | 0.38 | 0.50 | -24.7% | 0.75 | Ended |
| 43 (42) | Legion (O) | FX | 0.45 | 0.60 | -25.0% | 1.17 | Renewed |
| 44 (43) | Teen Wolf | MTV | 0.22 | 0.30 | -25.7% | 0.44 | Final Season |
| 45 (38) | Preacher | AMC | 0.45 | 0.60 | -25.8% | 1.20 | Renewal Possible |
| 46 (44) | The 100 (O) | CW | 0.34 | 0.46 | -25.9% | 0.64 | Renewed |
| 47 (45) | Making History (O) | NBC | 0.67 | 0.90 | -26.2% | n/a | Cancelled |
| 48 (47) | The Originals (O) (F) | CW | 0.32 | 0.46 | -30.9% | 0.63 | Renewed |
| 49 (48) | The Exorcist (O) (F) | FOX | 0.67 | 0.98 | -31.7% | 1.09 | Renewed |
| 50 (49) | iZombie (O) | CW | 0.30 | 0.46 | -34.3% | 0.63 | Renewed |
| 51 (50) | Scream Queens (O) | FOX | 0.61 | 0.98 | -37.8% | 0.96 | Cancelled |
| 52 (52) | Wynonna Earp | Syfy | 0.12 | 0.20 | -39.2% | n/a | On the Bubble |
| 53 (51) | Agents of SHIELD (O) | ABC | 0.74 | 1.21 | -39.3% | 1.58 | Renewed |
| 54 (53) | Grimm (O) (F) | NBC | 0.80 | 1.35 | -40.7% | 1.43 | Ended |
| 55 (54) | The Leftovers | HBO | 0.35 | 0.60 | -42.1% | n/a | Final Season |
| 56 (55) | Powerless (O) | NBC | 0.70 | 1.22 | -42.6% | n/a | Cancelled |
| 57 (56) | Beyond | Free | 0.14 | 0.25 | -42.7% | n/a | Renewed |
| 58 (57) | Emerald City (O) (F) | NBC | 0.69 | 1.22 | -43.5% | 1.23 | Cancelled |
| 59 (58) | Sleepy Hollow (O) (F) | FOX | 0.51 | 0.90 | -43.8% | 0.94 | Cancelled |
| 60 (59) | Frequency (O) | CW | 0.28 | 0.50 | -44.4% | 0.51 | Cancelled |
| 61 (60) | Salem | WGN | 0.08 | 0.15 | -48.0% | n/a | Cancelled |
| 62 (61) | Falling Water | USA | 0.15 | 0.30 | -51.0% | 0.30 | Renewed |
| 63 (62) | 12 Monkeys | Syfy | 0.09 | 0.20 | -53.3% | n/a | Renewed |
| 64 (63) | Time After Time | ABC | 0.53 | 1.19 | -55.9% | 0.70 | Cancelled |
| 65 (64) | Twin Peaks | Show | 0.11 | 0.25 | -57.0% | n/a | Final Season |
| 66 (65) | Dirk Gentlys Holistic Detective Agency | BBCA | 0.09 | 0.40 | -77.5% | n/a | Renewed |
| 67 (66) | Orphan Black | BBCA | 0.07 | 0.40 | -83.3% | n/a | Final Season |
Metric Definitions:
Rank (PW): Current rank based on the variance of a show’s season to date ratings average vs. its network’s benchmark (see definition below). The number in parenthesis is the prior week’s rank. Note that shows on the streaming services are not included because of insufficient viewership data and foreign imports like Doctor Who will not be included because they rely more heavily on their viewership in their home countries.
Series: (O) indicates the show is owned/produced by the network and/or a sister studio. (F) indicates the show airs on Friday when ratings expectations are lower. These typically just apply to the broadcast networks where they are more of a factor.
StD Avg: The show’s season to date ratings average based on the overnights for the 18-49 demographic.
Net Bench: (Network Benchmark) For the broadcast networks, this is the net’s season to date average rating based on the overnights for the 18-49 demographic for non-sports, non-special, non-repeat broadcasts (for FOX, Empire is also excluded because it counts as an outlier). For the cable channels, this is the lowest level at which a show is typically renewed by that network if there are enough genre entries on that channel to provide a decent sample. But note that with cable entries intangibles such as international and/or streaming partnerships can play an important factor in a shows survival and that is not measured here.
% Var: The percent variance between a show’s season to date average and the network benchmark as defined above. The higher the variance, the better a show is performing vs. the benchmark.
Live+7 Avg Rtg: The show’s season to date ratings average based on delayed viewing up to three days past the live broadcast. This data is not available for all shows.
Status: My assessment of the likelihood that a show will get renewed or cancelled. The statuses are Renewal Likely, Renewal Possible, On the Bubble, Cancellation Likely (plus Renewed and Cancelled/Ended)
Ratings Source: ShowBuzzDaily and TV by the Numbers
