The 1980-1981 television season is the 35th network season in United States television history. It began on Monday, October 27, 1980 and ended on Sunday, April 26, 1981. The effective start date of the 1980-81 season for the purposes of audience measurement was Monday, October 27, 1980 through Sunday, September 20, 1981.
Universe estimates used to calculate a program or network's rating within that particular demographic for the 1980-81 TV season. See the extended 1980-1981 universe estimates.
| Demographic | Population | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Households | 79,900,000 | |
| Persons 2+ | 213,340,000 | |
| Persons 2-11 | 32,830,000 | 15.4% |
| Persons 6-11 | 20,190,000 | 9.46% |
| Persons 12-17 | 22,460,000 | 10.5% |
| Persons 18+ | 158,050,000 | 74.1% |
| Persons 18-34 | 65,330,000 | 30.6% |
| Persons 18-49 | 101,590,000 | 47.6% |
| Persons 25-54 | 84,550,000 | 39.6% |
| Persons 35+ | 92,720,000 | 43.5% |