ABC’s crime procedural High Potential, starring Kaitlin Olson, is the most-watched broadcast entertainment series of 2025, according to full-year Nielsen multiplatform ratings. The show averaged 16.5 million total viewers over 35 days across both linear television and streaming platforms, narrowly edging out its closest competitor. This achievement is part of a broader resurgence for ABC, which also claims the top six shows among the key advertising demographic of adults 18-49.
The data, analyzed from the period covering the second half of the 2024-2025 season and the first half of the 2025-2026 season, shows that High Potential‘s success was driven significantly by streaming viewership. The series’ performance highlights a continuing shift in how audiences consume broadcast television, with delayed and digital viewing now playing a decisive role in a show’s overall reach.
How the Ratings Crown Was Won
The race for the top spot in 2025 was incredibly close. According to detailed data from ABC’s analysis of Nielsen information, the 12 episodes of High Potential that aired within the measurement window drew an average of 8.6 million viewers through traditional linear television. An additional 7.9 million viewers were added from streaming, primarily on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+, bringing the total average to 16.5 million.
Its main competitor, CBS’s Tracker, averaged 16.4 million total viewers from 14 episodes, creating a virtual tie at the top of the charts. CBS’s own ranking, which uses a slightly different count of episodes, shows Tracker slightly ahead. This minor variance underscores how tight the competition was, but based on ABC’s reported metrics, High Potential holds the number one position for the calendar year.
The dominance of these two shows points to the sustained power of the broadcast procedural drama in an era of fragmented viewing. They outperformed other popular series like CBS’s Matlock (13.2 million) and ABC’s own Will Trent (10.6 million).
The Streaming Engine Behind the Success
A deeper look at the demographic data reveals the formula for High Potential‘s success, particularly its overwhelming strength with younger viewers through streaming. Among adults 18-49, the key demographic for advertisers, High Potential earned a 3.77 rating, the highest of any show.
The breakdown of that number is telling. The show’s initial live, linear rating was 0.75, but streaming added a massive 3.02 to the final tally. This means roughly 80% of its audience in the 18-49 demographic came from streaming platforms, not live TV. This pattern demonstrates how essential availability on Hulu has been to the show’s growth and reach, allowing viewers to discover and binge episodes on their own schedule.
“High Potential stands as the No. 1 series for the year in both Total Viewers and Adults 18-49,” stated ABC in its official press release on the ratings.
This streaming-heavy performance is consistent with broader industry trends. For the top broadcast shows, streaming now accounts for over half of their adult 18-49 rating on average. High Potential, with its unique lead performance from Kaitlin Olson and weekly case-of-the-week format, has proven to be exceptionally well-suited for this modern viewing habit.
ABC’s Dominance Across Key Demographics
High Potential‘s victory was the centerpiece of an exceptionally strong year for ABC, which led its broadcast competitors across nearly every major viewer category.
The network held the top six shows among adults 18-49. Following High Potential were returning comedy Abbott Elementary (3.22 rating), returning drama The Rookie (2.54 rating), unscripted hit Dancing with the Stars (2.28 rating), new comedy Shifting Gears (2.16 rating), and returning favorite 9-1-1 (2.15 rating).
ABC also claimed the number one show with other important audience segments:
- Adults 18-34: Abbott Elementary
- Teens 12-17: The Rookie
- Kids 2-11: Dancing with the Stars
The performance of Dancing with the Stars was a particular highlight for the network. Its 34th season finale drew 9.43 million viewers, its largest finale audience since 2016. The show made history as the first fall series in Nielsen’s electronic measurement era to see its ratings grow for six consecutive weeks after its premiere.
Other ABC milestones for the year included Will Trent growing its total viewer audience for the third consecutive year, and Grey’s Anatomy logging over 38 billion viewing minutes to stand as the most-streamed drama on television.
Strong Momentum Heading Into the New Season
The 2025 calendar year win was not a one-time event but the result of sustained momentum. Data from the current 2025-2026 fall season shows that High Potential and Tracker have maintained their leads.
For the first five weeks of the new season, Tracker is pacing as the most-watched network entertainment show with just under 14 million cross-platform viewers over seven days. High Potential holds second place with 12.38 million viewers over the same period and, more importantly, continues to have a sizable lead among adults 18-49 with a 2.42 rating.
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The show’s Season 2 premiere on September 16, 2025, has shown strong growth, increasing to 17.23 million viewers after 35 days of multi-platform viewing. This represents a 28% increase over its series debut viewership from the previous fall. This ongoing strength indicates that the series has successfully built its audience and is carrying its top-tier status forward into 2026.
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