Because Showtime provides viewers with numerous opportunities for watching its programs, it can justifiably pay less attention to first-run ratings than broadcast networks do.
That fact does not, however, render such ratings irrelevant when it comes to enthusiasm about a Showtime original. And in the case of “The Affair,” the first-run rating paints a very underwhelming picture of that enthusiasm.
Leading out of “Homeland,” which drew a 0.4 adults 18-49 rating and 1.22 million viewers, “The Affair” posted a mere 0.1 rating with 507,000 viewers.
The episode additionally drew a 0.1 with adults 18-34 and a 0.2 with adults 25-54.
Because ratings for Showtime programs often grow exponentially once the network accounts for time-shifted, on-demand and encore viewing, the overall outlook for the series is not necessarily bleak. But when it comes to the initial broadcast number, one would have a difficult time presenting the performance as a positive.
