Airing without lead-in support from “The Flash,” Tuesday’s “iZombie” matched its previous performance in the adults 18-49 demographic.
It could not, however, avoid a loss in total viewership. That loss resulted in a new series low.
Per Nielsen final national data, Tuesday’s episode posted a 0.5 adults 18-49 rating and reached 1.170 million total viewers.
The previous “iZombie,” which aired on December 8, 2015, posted the same 0.5 rating but reached 1.367 million total viewers.
As noted, this week’s live+same-day viewership mark is the lowest ever recorded by an “iZombie” episode. Since the adults 18-49 rating ties a series low (albeit one posted on several occasions), the overall performance ranks as the critically acclaimed series’ weakest to date.
Instead of leading out of The CW’s popular series “The Flash,” this week’s episode followed a “MADtv” reunion special. While still a bigger draw than “iZombie” (0.6, 1.611 million), the broadcast was not nearly as potent as the show’s typical “The Flash” lead-in. The December 8 “Flash,” for instance, posted a 1.3 rating and reached 3.554 million total viewers.
Tuesday’s “iZombie”episode aired against the Presidential State of the Union address, which was aired concurrently across a handful of stations, including the other four broadcast networks. The address was not, however, a ratings blockbuster.
“iZombie,” in fact, may have benefited from the positioning, as it represented the only 9PM original, scripted option on network television.
Scripted cable competition came from series like FreeForm’s “Shadowhunters” and MTV’s “Teen Wolf.”