Broadcast Networks remain tops in "Must Keep TV"

ABC leads all networks viewers cannot live without.

ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC continue their grip on the top four positions on the list of top 10 TV brands that American consumers consider “Must Keep TV,” according to an annual survey by Solutions Research Group (SRG). It was a close race for number one, with ABC posting just a slight lead over CBS overall in the latest survey of 1,400 American consumers age 12+ in Spring 2013.

The next five in the rankings are cable networks, with ESPN once again the top cable brand for American viewers and holding the number five spot overall for the fifth year in a row. There has been some shifting
in the ranks, though, with History moving up to sixth place, eclipsing seventh place Discovery for the first time as the top non-sports cable brand since 2007. HBO has rejoined the top 10 at number eight after two years outside the top echelon. USA is number nine, rounding out the cable top five. The final spot in the survey’s top 10 goes to another broadcast network, albeit a non-commercial one, PBS.

While the broadcast Big Four still top the list, SRG notes that fewer survey respondents list ABC, CBS, FOX or NBC as a network they can’t do without. Only 75% had one of the four on their “must keep” list this year. That’s down from the peak of 83% when Toronto-based SRG did its first U.S. survey in 2007.

Outside the top 10, SRG noted upward movement by A&E, climbing to #11 from #16 last year thanks to hits like Duck Dynasty and Storage Wars. AMC, home to The Walking Dead and Mad Men, shot up to #18 from #33. “HGTV is another cable brand to watch. It showed increases across all key demos,” said SRG. MTV, meanwhile, dropped out of the Top 20.