Series finales rarely represent national “events” in today’s television era. They do not prompt tens of millions of fringe and non-fans to unite with the diehards in waving goodbye. They do not dominate the national focus the way series like “M*A*S*H” and “Seinfeld” did when they concluded.
The two-hour “Glee” finale, which aired Friday sans even a hint of momentum, had no prayer of changing that reality.
It did not change that reality.
According to fast national data, Friday’s “Glee” finale drew a modest 0.8 adults 18-49 rating with 2.70 million viewers from 8-9PM and a 0.7 with 2.53 million from 9-10PM.
The most-watched “Glee” episode of the season, the episode’s viewership total was nonetheless very far from massive. Prior to the midway point of season 5, the notion of a “Glee” episode–let alone the series finale–drawing fewer than 3 million total viewers was unfathomable.
The performance was even less impressive in the realm of adults 18-49. This week’s finale performance precisely mirrors that of the season six premiere, which drew the same 0.8 fast national rating at 8PM and an equivalent 0.7 rating at 9PM.
Glee Sixth Season Ratings Trajectory:
(Episode Date – Adults 18-49 rating – Total Viewership)
March 20 – (final #s pending)
March 13 – 0.7, 2.02M
March 6 – 0.6 – 1.81M
February 27 – 0.6 – 1.69M
February 20 – 0.6 – 1.86M
February 13 – 0.6 – 1.81M
February 6 – 0.5 – 1.58M
January 30 – 0.7 – 1.85M
January 23 – 0.7 – 1.82M
January 16 – 0.7 – 1.98M
January 9 (average of two episodes) – 0.7 – 2.34M
