Ratings
ATWT Ratings: 1956–2010
One example of the drastic change in daytime television can be found in the following:
- Daytime history: Highest rated week (November 16–20, 1981)
- (Household ratings- Nielsen Media Research)
| Rank/Serial |
Household Rating |
(Time Slot) Network |
| 1. General Hospital |
16.0 |
(3-4pm) ABC |
| 2. All My Children |
10.2 |
(1-2pm) ABC |
| 3. One Life to Live |
10.2 |
(2-3pm) ABC |
| 4. Guiding Light |
7.5 |
(3-4pm) CBS |
| 5. The Young and the Restless |
7.0 |
(12:30–1:30pm) CBS |
1995 ratings
| Rank/Serial |
Millions Of Viewers |
| 1. The Young and the Restless |
7.2 |
| 2. All My Children |
5.891 |
| 3. General Hospital |
5.343 |
| 4. The Bold and the Beautiful |
5.247 |
| 5. One Life to Live |
5.152 |
As the World Turns spent a record breaking 20 years on top of the Nielsen ratings for American daytime soap operas, from 1958 to 1978. It would retain this record until The Young and the Restless broke it in 2008 when it remained #1 for 21 years and counting.
- Years as #1 series
| Year(s) |
Household Rating |
| 1958–1959 |
9.8 |
| 1959–1960 |
9.9 |
| 1960–1961 |
10.4 |
| 1961–1962 |
11.9 |
| 1962–1963 |
13.7 |
| 1963–1964 |
15.4 |
| 1964–1965 |
14.5 |
| 1965–1966 |
13.9 |
| 1966–1967 |
12.7 |
| 1967–1968 |
13.6 |
| 1968–1969 |
13.8 |
| 1969–1970 |
13.6 |
| 1970–1971 |
12.4 |
| 1971–1972 |
11.1 |
| 1972–1973 |
10.6 |
| 1973–1974 |
9.7 (Tied with Days of our Lives and Another World) |
| 1974–1975 |
10.8 |
| 1975–1976 |
9.4 |
| 1976–1977 |
9.9 |
| 1977–1978 |
8.6 (Tied with Another World) |
Record Low: 1,773,000 viewers on December 25, 2009. (Nielsen Media Research)
|
1956-1957 season
- 1. The Guiding Light 11.4
- 7. As the World Turns 8.4 (Debut)
1957-1958 season
- 1. The Guiding Light 10.1
- 6. As the World Turns 8.4
1978-1979 season
- 1. All My Children 9.0
- 4. As the World Turns 8.2
1979-1980 season
- 1. General Hospital 9.9
- 6. As the World Turns 7.9
1980-1981 season
- 1. General Hospital 11.4
- 5. As the World Turns 7.9
1981-1982 season
- 1. General Hospital 11.2
- 5. As the World Turns 7.4 (Tied with The Young and the Restless)
1982-1983 season
- 1. General Hospital 9.8
- 5. As the World Turns 7.6
1983-1984 season
- 1. General Hospital 10.0
- 6. As the World Turns 7.9
1984-1985 season
- 1. General Hospital 9.1
- 6. As the World Turns 7.1 (Tied with Days of our Lives)
1985-1986 season
- 1. General Hospital 9.2
- 7. As the World Turns 6.7
1986-1987 season
- 1. General Hospital 8.3
- 4. As the World Turns 7.0 (Tied with All My Children and Days of our Lives)
1987-1988 season
- 1. The Young and the Restless 8.1 (Tied with General Hospital)
- 6. As the World Turns 6.6
1988-1989 season
- 1. The Young and the Restless 8.1
- 6. As the World Turns 6.4
1989-1990 season
- 1. The Young and the Restless 8.0
- 5. As the World Turns 5.8
1990-1991 season
- 1. The Young and the Restless 8.1
- 4. As the World Turns 5.9
1991-1992 season
- 1. The Young and the Restless 8.2
- 3. As the World Turns 5.8 (Tied with General Hospital)
1992-1993 season
- 1. The Young and the Restless 8.4
- 4. As the World Turns 5.7
|
1993-1994 season
- 1. The Young and the Restless 8.6
- 5. As the World Turns 5.8
1994-1995 season
- 1. The Young and the Restless 7.5
- 7. As the World Turns 5.1
1995-1996 season
- 1. The Young and the Restless 7.7
- 7. As the World Turns 4.4
1996-1997 season
- 1. The Young and the Restless 7.1
- 6. As the World Turns 4.4
1997-1998 season
- 1. The Young and the Restless 7.0
- 6. As the World Turns 4.1
1998-1999 season
- 1. The Young and the Restless 6.9
- 6. As the World Turns 3.8
1999-2000 season
- 1. The Young and the Restless 6.8
- 6. As the World Turns 3.8
2000-2001 season
- 1. The Young and the Restless 5.8
- 6. As the World Turns 3.3
2001-2002 season
- 1. The Young and the Restless 5.0
- 5. As the World Turns 3.5
2002-2003 season
- 1. The Young and the Restless 4.7
- 7. As the World Turns 2.9
2003-2004 season
- 1. The Young and the Restless 4.4
- 6. As the World Turns 2.9 (Tied with One Life to Live)
2004-2005 season
- 1. The Young and the Restless 4.2
- 7. As the World Turns 2.6
2005-2006 season
- 1. The Young and the Restless 4.2
- 5. As the World Turns 2.7
2006-2007 season
- 1. The Young and the Restless 4.2
- 7. As the World Turns 2.1
2007-2008 season
- 1. The Young and the Restless 4.0
- 3. As the World Turns 2.4
2008-2009 season
- 1. The Young and the Restless 3.7
- 7. As the World Turns 1.9
2009-2010 season
- 1. The Young and the Restless 3.7
- 7. As the World Turns 1.8
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