As a longtime viewer and fanatic of Wheel of Fortune, I must say that Ryan Seacrest has truly outdone himself with his debut as the new host. The ratings speak for themselves – 9.63 million viewers is nothing short of phenomenal! It’s been nine years since we saw such impressive numbers, and it’s a testament to Seacrest’s charm and charisma that he’s managed to captivate audiences so effectively.
Over a year has elapsed since Ryan Murphy was appointed as Pat Sajak’s successor on Wheel of Fortune, and true to his word, he managed to fit the role into his busy schedule, commencing with its autumn TV launch. However, some viewers had expressed reservations about the change for various reasons in the year leading up to his official debut. Fortunately, the initial week’s episodes ran smoothly, with the exception of criticism directed at the newly designed set.
As a diehard fan, let me tell you, Wheel of Fortune’s comeback in Season 42 didn’t just do well—it absolutely crushed it! This legendary game show earned some truly impressive ratings that must have given Ryan Seacrest a fantastic surge of optimism. Honestly, he seemed quite certain from the get-go that he’d be a great fit, and boy, was he ever right!
According to Nielsen, as reported by Deadline, the debut of Wheel of Fortune with Seacrest attracted a staggering audience of 9.63 million viewers. This is the largest audience for any season premiere in the last nine years, surpassing the viewership of the 2015 starter by nearly double and significantly outperforming the Season 41 opener, which peaked at 5.68 million viewers. Additionally, it outshone the 18-49 demographic, improving on last year’s rating by a substantial 63% (from a 0.52 rating to a 0.86 rating).
That large total didn’t hold up throughout the week, which is only natural, but the syndicated staple still celebrated much success. The first week of episodes ended with an overall average of 8.31 million viewers, as the four episodes that were telecast after the premiere averaged just under 7 million viewers. Such numbers cemented it as the best week of new WoF eps in the past five years. Those stats also made Wheel the #1 show in all of syndication for the week.
Compared to the audience figures during the premiere week of 2023, the average viewership this time saw a significant boost, rising by approximately 21%. The number climbed from 6.87 million to 8.31 million viewers. Furthermore, it registered more than a 10% increase for all crucial demographic ratings.
It remains uncertain whether the audience numbers might decrease slightly during the second and third week, eventually stabilizing at their probable level for the entire season. However, if the program continues to offer opportunities for million-dollar rewards like this one, then it could very well be “the limitless” (s_y is the l_m_t).
For anyone who holds Pat Sajak in particularly high regard compared to Ryan Seacrest, it’s worth noting that his final syndicated episode garnered a staggering 11.03 million viewers. If he were to return and team up with Seacrest for an episode, there’s a chance this could shatter the boundaries of linear television as we know it.
Pat Sajak is set to return to his hosting role for the upcoming season of ABC’s “Celebrity Wheel of Fortune” quite soon. The episodes were pre-recorded before his departure from the regular broadcasts.
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2024-09-27 02:38