The Data Stream: TV Ratings and Analysis

Numbers, analysis and enthusiasms about what and how we watch stuff on TV, by Rick Porter.

Featured

Confessions of a Cancel Bear, Vol. 3: Streaming video killed the (minor) internet star

Apr 26, 2026

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8 min read

Confessions of a Cancel Bear, Vol. 3: Streaming video killed the (minor) internet star

Discourse about shows is still often insane, but the environment that allowed TV by the Numbers and the Bear to thrive doesn't exist anymore.

Apr 19, 2026

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5 min read

Confessions of a Cancel Bear, Vol. 2

My three years as the internet persona that mauled underperforming TV shows.

Apr 12, 2026

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9 min read

Confessions of a Cancel Bear, Vol. 1

The history of TV by the Numbers and how I came to run the site and its most famous feature.

Articles

The week ahead, July 27-Aug. 2: 'Furious'-ly charging into the dog days

Jul 27, 2026

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2 min read

The week ahead, July 27-Aug. 2: 'Furious'-ly charging into the dog days

It's not much of a week for new stuff on our screens.

Latecomer: 'The Bear,' hold the discourse

Jul 26, 2026

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4 min read

Latecomer: 'The Bear,' hold the discourse

The first in a very occasional set of posts about shows I fell behind on watching.

Jul 23, 2026

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3 min read

Streaming top 10s: 'Bear' down

Plus, an oddball instance of Netflix effect on the movie charts.

Weekly on-air ratings, July 13-19: Sixty-three million viewers(!)

Jul 22, 2026

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3 min read

Weekly on-air ratings, July 13-19: Sixty-three million viewers(!)

Absolute scenes, ratings-wise, for the World Cup final.

The week ahead, July 20-26: Long live the 'King of the Hill'

Jul 20, 2026

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3 min read

The week ahead, July 20-26: Long live the 'King of the Hill'

Hank and friends return, 'The Big Bang Theory' spins off again and the WNBA's best gather.

Streaming top 10s, plus a couple things from Netflix's latest data dump

Jul 16, 2026

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3 min read

Streaming top 10s, plus a couple things from Netflix's latest data dump

'I Will Find You' figures in both of them.