Two and a Half Men Vs. The Networks

Every week many T.V. networks, such as ABC, CBS, FOX, The CW, and NBC, utilize Nielson ratings reports to judge whether their show is catching the viewers they need for the show to survive. Without the targeted ratings the show is either pulled from the show list of not renewed for the next season. Placement of the show is crucial, whether it be shown at a week night or during the weekends makes or breaks the show. Networks spend a vast amount of time juggling shows to their right show time and spend large amounts of money promoting these episodes.

Two and a Half Men had one of the highest viewers rating than many other 9:00p.m. Monday T.V. shows. With 14,235,000 viewers, it was ranked 8th on Nielsen Ratings list. It beat out Deal or No Deal by 4 million viewers. Two and a Half Men has a rating of 8.6 and a share of 13.0. As rating Vs. a Share plays its role, this show has different viewer numbers. Ratings are a bit lower than shares due to the fact that a rating only records when the television is either turned on or off.

The time slot that Two and a Half Men currently occupies has very little competition it that kind of entertainment. If it were to move to a different time slot, it might have to face better competitors, like Dancing with the Stars. Now if it were to move to a different day, the network faces losing their viewers all together. If it were to move to Tuesday nights the ratings would defiantly decrease. It would have to share their viewers with American Idol and Dancing with the Stars, both having higher viewers than Two and a Half Men. The ratings would decline and the network would then have to make the decision to either keep the show or cancel it.

In the end, ratings and shares make all the difference when it comes to your favorite entertainment. Without Nielson’s rating system, advertisers would not know where to place their ads that pays for our shows. We would not be able to enjoy our late night comedy show like Two and a Half Men or How I Met your Mother. So when watching you television, keep in mind that many thought has gone into when and where you can view these showings!