Update: Final Tuesday ratings data is kinder to “The Flash” and harsher to “Containment” than the fast national report.
According to numbers posted by Programming Insider, Tuesday’s “The Flash” drew a 1.2 adults 18-49 rating and 3.03 million total viewers. In posting a 1.2 — rather than the 1.1 indicated by the fast nationals — the series avoided tying its series low performance in the demo.
The episode’s numbers were, however, still down from those posted by the previous episode (1.3, 3.39 million).
As for “Containment,” final ratings data confirms that it premiered with a 0.5 adults 18-49 rating and 1.67 million total viewers. The modest numbers represent an even greater decline from those posted by last year’s “iZombie” series premiere (0.8, 2.29 million).
The rating is actually in line with what “iZombie” drew during its second season. As new series often endure losses in the weeks following their premieres, “Containment” may end up below the typical “iZombie” level by the end of its inaugural season.
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Context will play a major role in determining how one assesses the performance of Tuesday’s “Containment” premiere.
According to fast national data posted by Showbuzz, that performance included a 0.6 adults 18-49 rating and 1.72 million total live+same-day viewers.
On the one hand, “Containment” drew better numbers than were typical of timeslot occupant “iZombie” during its second season.
On the other hand, it did not perform as well as last year’s “iZombie” premiere (0.8, 2.29 million). Given that shows often fall from their premieres, a comparison to the first “iZombie” episode may make more sense than a comparison to the typical second season “iZombie” episode.
Granted, that comparison is not apples to apples either. Whereas last year’s “iZombie” led out of a “The Flash” that drew a 1.3 adults 18-49 rating and 3.69 million total viewers, “Containment” followed one that posted a 1.1 and 3.03 million. This week’s “The Flash” tied a series low in the demo; it posted the show’s second-lowest live+same-day viewership sum.
The ultimate conclusion? “Containment” did not get off to a particularly strong start. The numbers will likely be perceived as underwhelming, but if they hold, they would not be poor by network standards. If the show endures a typical post-premiere drop, however, its ratings could soon enter more overtly disappointing territory.