TheWrap’s ranked the Top 20 entertainment (so, no sports or news, kids) cable channels of 2016 by their primetime total viewer averages. These Nielsen numbers include the full week, and count and 7 days of delayed viewing where available. Click through to remember what distracted you in 2016.
Rank: 1
Network: USA
Total viewer average: 1.675 million
YOY Change: -7%
Series pictured: “Shooter”
Rank: 2
Network: TBS
Total viewer average: 1.583 million
YOY Change: -12%
Series pictured: “People of Earth”
Rank: 3
Network: HGTV
Total viewer average: 1.578 million
YOY Change: +5%
Series pictured: “Flip or Flop”
Rank: 4
Network: TNT
Total viewer average: 1.547 million
YOY Change: -10%
Series pictured: “The Last Ship”
Rank: 5
Network: Discovery
Total viewer average: 1.393 million
YOY Change: -10%
Series pictured: “Gold Rush”
Rank: 6
Network: History
Total viewer average: 1.324 million
YOY Change: -11%
Series pictured: “Vikings”
Rank: 7
Network: AMC
Total viewer average: 1.243 million
YOY Change: -10%
Series pictured: “The Walking Dead”
Rank: 8
Network: FX
Total viewer average: 1.108 million
YOY Change: -8%
Series pictured: “The People v O.J. Simpson”
Rank: 9
Network: Food Network
Total viewer average: 1.053 million
YOY Change: -5%
Series pictured: “Chopped”
Rank: 10
Network: Hallmark
Total viewer average: 1.048 million
YOY Change: +16%
Series pictured: “Chesapeake Shores”
Rank: 11
Network: ID
Total viewer average: 992,000
YOY Change: +10%
Series pictured: “Deadly Women”
Rank: 12
Network: Adult Swim
Total viewer average: 990,000
YOY Change: -6%
Series pictured: “American Dad”
Rank: 13
Network: Lifetime
Total viewer average: 949,000
YOY Change: -8%
Series pictured: “Project Runway”
Rank: 14
Network: Bravo
Total viewer average: 898,000
YOY Change: +7%
Series pictured: “Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce”
Rank: 15
Network: TLC
Total viewer average: 872,000
YOY Change: -6%
Series pictured: “90 Day Fiance”
Rank: 16
Network: A&E
Total viewer average: 841,000
YOY Change: -11%
Series pictured: “Duck Dynasty”
Rank: 17
Network: Nick at Nite
Total viewer average: 808,000
YOY Change: -1%
Series pictured: “Full House”
Rank: 18
Network: Freeform
Total viewer average: 806,000
YOY Change: -18%
Series pictured: “Pretty Little Liars”
Rank: 19
Network: Spike
Total viewer average: 702,000
YOY Change: -10%
Series pictured: “Lip Sync Battle”
Rank: 20
Network: Syfy
Total viewer average: 689,000
YOY Change: -30%
Series pictured: “12 Monkeys”
Sorry, “Teen Wolf,” “Pit Bulls & Parolees” and “Love & Hip-Hop — MTV, Animal Planet and VH1 just missed the cut. Maybe next year.
