The 1996-1997 television season is the 51st network season in United States television history. It began on Monday, September 9, 1996 and ended on Sunday, May 25, 1997. The effective start date of the 1996-97 season for the purposes of audience measurement was Monday, September 9, 1996 through Sunday, September 14, 1997.
Universe estimates used to calculate a program or network's rating within that particular demographic for the 1996-97 TV season. See the extended 1996-1997 universe estimates.
| Demographic | Population | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Households | 97,000,000 | |
| Persons 2+ | 251,300,000 | |
| Persons 2-11 | 38,890,000 | 15.5% |
| Persons 6-11 | 23,080,000 | 9.18% |
| Persons 12-17 | 21,850,000 | 8.69% |
| Persons 18+ | 190,560,000 | 75.8% |
| Persons 18-34 | 62,120,000 | 24.7% |
| Persons 18-49 | 123,150,000 | 49.0% |
| Persons 25-54 | 114,810,000 | 45.7% |
| Persons 35+ | 128,440,000 | 51.1% |