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

Streaming top 10s: Playing catch-up, finally

Sep 17, 2026

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5 min read

Streaming top 10s: Playing catch-up, finally

Thank the ratings gods that Nielsen has sped up its release cadence for streaming ratings.

Weekly on-air ratings, Sept. 7-13: A '60 Minutes' slip that's probably the NFL's fault

Sep 16, 2026

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5 min read

Weekly on-air ratings, Sept. 7-13: A '60 Minutes' slip that's probably the NFL's fault

But let's see if this is a one-off or the start of a trend.

The week ahead, Sept. 14-20: It's Emmy time

Sep 14, 2026

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5 min read

The week ahead, Sept. 14-20: It's Emmy time

The awards kick off the week as the fall rollout starts to shift into a higher gear.

Sep 13, 2026

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3 min read

Streaming top 10s: 'Reacher' back

The big guy returns to the top of the Nielsen charts with season 4's premiere.

Weekly on-air ratings, Aug. 31-Sept. 6: College football enjoys a weekend to itself

Sep 10, 2026

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3 min read

Weekly on-air ratings, Aug. 31-Sept. 6: College football enjoys a weekend to itself

Labor Day weekend, before the NFL starts up for real, is a showcase for the college kids.

The week ahead, Sept. 7-13: The NFL is about to take over

Sep 7, 2026

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4 min read

The week ahead, Sept. 7-13: The NFL is about to take over

The season starts this week.