Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-4775130-20150922222850/@comment-24674051-20150923143750

And what that basically does is tell the networks how well the show is reaching a specific audience. for most Prime Time programming, the target audience is the 18-49 range. These numbers help the networks determine how to negotiate their advertising, and how to target. It also helps sponsors know which shows that they might be interested in in terms. It's really mostly about the dollars and sense side of the network corporations, though the ratings can affect the longevity (or lack thereof) for a show.