The 1986-1987 television season is the 41st network season in United States television history. It began on Monday, September 15, 1986 and ended on Sunday, April 26, 1987. The effective start date of the 1986-87 season for the purposes of audience measurement was Monday, September 15, 1986 through Sunday, September 20, 1987.
Universe estimates used to calculate a program or network's rating within that particular demographic for the 1986-87 TV season. See the extended 1986-1987 universe estimates.
| Demographic | Population | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Households | 87,400,000 | |
| Persons 2+ | 227,070,000 | |
| Persons 2-11 | 34,010,000 | 15.0% |
| Persons 6-11 | 19,820,000 | 8.73% |
| Persons 12-17 | 20,250,000 | 8.92% |
| Persons 18+ | 172,810,000 | 76.1% |
| Persons 18-34 | 67,430,000 | 29.7% |
| Persons 18-49 | 113,180,000 | 49.8% |
| Persons 25-54 | 97,650,000 | 43.0% |
| Persons 35+ | 105,380,000 | 46.4% |