That's why this season the Tiffany network actively pursued the one thing it didn't have: buzz.

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For years, the Tiffany Network's digital strategy consisted of creating strong ties to existing sites.

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The annual college basketball tournament offers the Tiffany network a three-week platform to reach the otherwise hard to pin down young male viewer, who is prized by advertisers.

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The Tiffany Network earned a 5.2 rating the following year when the sisters had a rematch and a respectable 3.3 in 2008 when Serena faced Jelena Jankovic in the Finals.

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After all, the Tiffany network regularly charms 11.8 million viewers in prime-time, up ever so slightly from last season and nearly 20% ahead of no. 2 (Fox), according to The Nielsen Company.

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But if results from many of the year's other award shows, including the Tonys, the Grammys and the Academy of Country Music Awards, are any indication, the Tiffany network has reason to be hopeful.

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In fact, the Tiffany network rounded out another television season no. 1 in total viewers, a title it has held for seven of the last eight seasons. (For the advertiser-beloved 18-to-49-year-old demo, it ranks second behind Fox.) What its offerings lack in pop-cultural prominence they make up for in viewer loyalty.

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Where CBS was once alone, it now faces a vast array of rivals who learned from the "tiffany" network's early success and have become adept at beating them at their own game.

FORBES: For CBS, Reality Bites