Technically we have a 10.814 (when using data from 3 decimal points) for final numbers.
But, and I stress this, that truly isn't accurate (and while it is the official number) I actually use the ratings for every episode no matter when they air).
For example any airing outside the official 8pm start time (not counting sports overruns) isn't considered, episodes that air on the day off or before Christmas and New Years are excluded which did effect the official season average of season 12, for example), and TAR (or CBS) for some reason averages the ratings of a two hour episode for its' 8pm hour (and others shows don't unless they are filmed and produced as a two hour event). This has effected several seasons.
And I hate it.
So for this season the official ratings will only count episodes 1 and 2 as one episode. Which I think is bull****. Now I understand when they did for seasons 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 as each of those seasons featured a two hour opener that was all one episode edited to fill two hours. Thus one episode.
This season we had two episodes that were produce as two episodes that due to a schedule conflict were aired as a two hour block, and as such in my mind to accurately reflect the ratings should count as two episodes.
Using that criteria we are currently averaging in finals (as this will change about noon tomorrow) a 10.673.
I do agree that it is possible for us to end at or over 11 million, but it is something that has been very rare for the show.
Season averages (based on all episodes aired)
Season 7: 12.559
Season 6: 11.337
Season 12: 11.198
Season 10: 11.148
Those four are the only seasons to exceed 11 million viewers
Season 5: 10.726
Season 8: 10.670
Season 13: 10.526
Season 14: 10.412
Season 2: 10.212
Season 11: 9.713
Season 1: 9.506
Season 3: 9.063
Season 9: 8.852
Season 4: 8.293 (missing data on one episode so this is the least accurate number I have).
What is interesting is that on average shows typically lose about 5% in viewers. So we are really, really doing compared to the average tv show, far better as a long term program.
Of course the downside of this is that Demo's and not viewers are the key to a show. ANd since moving to Sunday's are demo suck. In fact to look at a very interesting comparison. TAR 9 had very low ratings (most likely due to three factors- Family Edition pissing off viewers, its later time start, and then its two different day and time changes mid season. Yet only Season 10, and season 12 have barely beat it in the demos, and all since have far, far larger audiences. This is due to CBS Sunday having the oldest audience (average age) of any night (well I don't know about Saturdays since no one programs originals there anymore) of the week and out of any network.