The Biggest TV Shows of 2025-2026 Revealed: See Who Dominated the Ratings
The final TV ratings numbers for the 2025-2026 season are officially here, and one thing is clear: streaming platforms continue to dominate the television landscape.
After looking at 35 days of viewing across traditional television and streaming platforms, Nielsen has revealed which shows attracted the biggest audiences throughout the season.
According to Nielsen’s multiplatform ratings data, Netflix’s “Stranger Things” was the biggest non-sports series of the entire TV season. The final numbers show the hit sci-fi series pulled in 32.9 million viewers, making it the most-watched entertainment program across broadcast, cable, and streaming.
Netflix had a huge year overall, taking several spots near the top of the rankings. “His & Hers” finished second with 25.6 million viewers, while “Sean Combs: The Reckoning” followed in third place with 20.6 million viewers.
The success of these shows highlights how powerful streaming has become. While traditional networks still produce some of television’s biggest hits, streaming services are now regularly competing for the top spots and attracting massive audiences weeks after episodes are released.
One of the biggest surprises in the final rankings was Paramount+’s “Landman.” The series climbed higher than expected, finishing as the fourth most-watched show of the season with 19.8 million viewers. Its success helped Taylor Sheridan continue his impressive run, with multiple shows connected to his creative universe appearing among the year’s biggest hits.
CBS also had a major victory with “Marshals,” which became the most-watched broadcast series of the season. The show reached 19.3 million viewers across its 35-day multiplatform window, placing it ahead of many established hits.
CBS continued its strong performance in the broadcast rankings, holding four of the top five spots. Along with “Marshals,” the network also scored big with “Tracker,” which ranked second among broadcast shows with 16.3 million viewers.
Other CBS successes included “Matlock,” “Sheriff Country,” “Ghosts,” “NCIS,” and “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage.” The network also had several new shows break into the rankings, including “Marshals,” “Sheriff Country,” “Boston Blue,” and “CIA,” giving CBS one of its strongest seasons in years.
ABC also had plenty to celebrate, especially among younger viewers. “High Potential” became the most-watched broadcast series among adults ages 18-49, earning a 3.35 rating in the demographic. The show also ranked ninth overall among all broadcast, cable, and streaming programs with 16 million total viewers.
The network also saw strong performances from “Abbott Elementary,” “The Rookie,” “Dancing With the Stars,” and “Will Trent.” ABC claimed five of the top six broadcast shows in the adults 18-49 category, showing that its programming continues to connect with younger audiences.
Looking at the overall top 25 list, the mix of winners shows how different the TV landscape has become. Netflix, Paramount+, ABC, CBS, HBO Max, and Prime Video all found success, with shows like “Bridgerton,” “The Pitt,” “Fallout,” “Monster: The Ed Gein Story,” and “The Lincoln Lawyer” attracting millions of viewers.
The final rankings were measured using Nielsen’s 35-day multiplatform data, which combines traditional television viewing with streaming numbers. The measurement covered the full 2025-2026 broadcast season, which ran from September 14, 2025, through May 24, 2026.
The biggest takeaway from this year’s numbers is that there is no single winner in television anymore. Streaming giants like Netflix can dominate with global hits, while networks like CBS and ABC continue to prove that traditional television still has a powerful audience.
Which of these shows do you think was the biggest TV winner of the 2025-2026 season?
With “Stranger Things” leading the entire entertainment category and broadcast hits like “Marshals” and “High Potential” proving the strength of network television, the 2025-2026 season showed that audiences are still watching, they are just watching in more ways than ever before.
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