The Winners And Losers Of May Sweeps

alec baldwin emmy 2009

It's May sweeps time!

It's May sweeps time, that four-week end-of-season stretch when all the networks try to boost their ratings and woo advertisers by rolling out the best and biggest episodes their series have to offer.

With ad dollars on the line, networks are pulling out all the stops: Oscar-winning guest stars, unexpected deaths, cliffhangers and crazy plot twists will all be used to give the ratings a final end-of-season push.

Click through to see the winners and losers of May sweeps week >

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Winner: NBC

NBC has a full-line up of guest appearances in May. Matt Damon is reportedly set to guest star in one of "30's Rock's" final episodes of the season. And Law and Order is ending on on a high note, too, with Olympic Gold Medal winner Lindsey Vonn.

Winner: Fox

Fox's "Glee" has been killing it in the ratings, and with an upcoming guest appearance by Time 100 inductee Neil Patrick Harris, we're guessing the season will go out with a bang.

Loser: ABC

ABC was the only network to lose viewers this season. Sure, it's ratings got a boost from its newest series, "Modern Family." But the network's long-time hit, "Desperate Housewives," lost 12% of its viewers.

Winner: DVR

With digital video recorders now in 36% of homes and the number of young people watching their favorite shows in real time decreasing, DVR is huge. Just ask anyone who will be setting theirs accordingly on May 23 to record the series finale of "Lost." It's the ultimate in May sweeps! Although there is a loser involved here because of DVR...

Loser: Ratings

No matter how successful their May sweeps roster, the networks still have to worry about shedding viewers. As this USAToday article points out, overall TV usage is down 2.6%, and viewership among women ages 18 to 34 is down 6% from last year. If these declines continue, "it could result the first full season of reduced viewing in recent history."

Winner: ESPN And Other Sports Broadcasters

Not everyone is tuning into scripted television. May sweeps begins at the same time some viewers are settling into the baseball season and the NBA and NHL finals come to a close. And sports ratings are up from recent years. Channels like ESPN and other sports networks are going to take those viewers.