Considering it aired after the Olympics Closing Ceremony and featured the debut of new coaches Miley Cyrus and Alicia Keys, Sunday’s “The Voice” preview was an underwhelming live+same-day performer.
Its 2.74 L+SD adults 18-49 rating and 10.340 million L+SD audience sum were the lowest ever posted by a season-opening “The Voice” episode.
The broadcast did, however, post solid initial DVR gains — particularly against the show’s recent standard.
NBC says that the show’s adults 18-49 rating rises to a 3.55 in the live+3 report (+0.81), which accounts for the live broadcast plus three days of time-shifted viewing. The viewership sum rises to 12.827 million in live+3 (2.487 million).
The live+3 adults 18-49 lift is the biggest for a “The Voice” episode since the 2/24/15 episode added 0.84. The live+3 viewership gain is the best since the September 22, 2014 broadcast grew by 2.561 million.
The live+3 gains do not change how Sunday’s “The Voice” special ranks in comparison to past season openers, but they do help close the gap.
Whether the comparison even matters, moreover, remains unclear. Many observers will wait until the show makes its official two-hour premiere in its regular timeslot before assessing how interest in this season compares to that of past “The Voice” cycles.
