ABC Remains Top “Must-Keep” TV Brand

TORONTO: ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC continue to hold onto the top four positions on the list of television brands that American consumers consider to be "must-keep TV," while HBO, AMC and A&E have moved up the rankings, according to a survey from Solutions Research Group (SRG).

This marks ABC’s fifth consecutive time in the top spot, though SRG noted that the network had just a slight lead over CBS this time around. ESPN once again was the top cable brand for American viewers, claiming the number five spot overall for the fifth year in a row. HISTORY moved up to number six, surpassing Discovery, now in seventh, for the first time since 2007. HBO rejoins the top 10 after two years of absence. USA and PBS round out the top 10.

A&E landed at number 11, up from number 16 in last year’s survey. Syfy, which has made it into the top 15 for all six years of the study, is at number 13. Comedy Central holds steady at 14 and TBS remains at 15. AMC landed at 18, quite a jump from its number 33 spot last year and 46 spot in 2011. MTV dropped out of the top 20.

The sixth edition of the independent tracking survey is based on interviews with 1,400 American consumers aged 12-plus in spring 2013. Their evaluations of 74 selected network and cable brands reveal which brands consumers must have, the ones gaining in popularity and those that are slipping.