‘The Bachelor’ Season 25’s Low Ratings — Should ABC Be Worried?
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Matt James’ Bachelor season is not getting off to a rosy start, at least not based on the ratings for the first three episodes (January 4, 11, and 18).
Season 25 premiered to a 1.25 rating (among adults 18-49) and 5 million viewers (fast-affiliate based), a series low for a Bachelor premiere. Episode 2 had a 1.1 rating and 4.6 million viewers, and Episode 3 a 1.3 rating and 4.75 million.
More ominous, though, is that the ratings drop in each two-hour episode at the halfway mark; (5.3 million to 4.7, 5.0 to 4.2, and 5.1 to 4.4). That drop wasn’t as drastic (or there at all) some weeks during Season 24. Will that change as fans get to know James?
That’s what ABC executive Rob Mills thinks will be the case.
“I actually think you’re going to see ratings rise more exponentially than you would during previous season because people are going to start talking about it and word-of-mouth is going to kick in,” he told Variety, adding that unlike with other leads, James wasn’t introduced in another series of the franchise, such as The Bachelorette. (He was originally supposed to be part of Clare Crawley’s — now Tayshia Adams’ — season.)
Ratings were up between Episodes 2 and 3, so we’ll have to see if we see another rise with January 25’s Episode 4.
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