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 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.

Weekly on-air ratings, July 6-12: More very big soccer numbers

Jul 15, 2026

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2 min read

Weekly on-air ratings, July 6-12: More very big soccer numbers

The World Cup quarterfinals break another set of records for Fox and Telemundo.

The week ahead, July 13-19: 'Lucky' for you (and the rest of us)

Jul 13, 2026

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3 min read

The week ahead, July 13-19: 'Lucky' for you (and the rest of us)

Also, the World Cup reaches its climax and baseball's All-Stars take the field.

Summer madness: Diving into a historically huge World Cup

Jul 12, 2026

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5 min read

Summer madness: Diving into a historically huge World Cup

The tournament is smashing viewing records in both English and Spanish.

Jul 9, 2026

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4 min read

Weekly ratings: We are the World Cup

With a side of evening news and fireworks. 'Love Island' dominates the streaming charts.