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

Jun 11, 2026

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4 min read

Weekly numbers: Sports section

The NBA Finals are off to a huge start, and the Stanley Cup is cooking too.

The week ahead, June 8-14: The World Cup is here

Jun 8, 2026

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3 min read

The week ahead, June 8-14: The World Cup is here

The soccer tournament kicks off this week across North America.

Streaming top 10s: When a chart position is within 'Striking Distance'

Jun 4, 2026

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3 min read

Streaming top 10s: When a chart position is within 'Striking Distance'

Some truly oddball titles show up in the Nielsen rankings for May 4-10.

Weekly on-air numbers: NBA, '60 Minutes' and the summer dropoff

Jun 3, 2026

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4 min read

Weekly on-air numbers: NBA, '60 Minutes' and the summer dropoff

You'll be seeing some different things in the top of the charts for the next few months.

Jun 1, 2026

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3 min read

The week ahead, June 1-7: Finals week

The NBA and NHL begin their championship series and summer shows begin rolling out.

A short history of dubious streaming ratings claims

May 31, 2026

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5 min read

A short history of dubious streaming ratings claims

Are they outright lies? Probably not — but there are a lot of ways to put a spin on viewing numbers.