Update:<\/b> Unlike the 12\/14 “STAR” premiere, Wednesday’s episode aired without lead-in support from “Empire.”<\/p>\n
It predictably fell in the ratings.<\/p>\n
Per fast national data posted by Showbuzz, Wednesday’s “STAR” drew a 1.6 adults 18-49 rating and 4.76 million total viewers. The numbers trail the 2.2 rating and 6.71 million viewer sum posted by the premiere.<\/p>\n
On the plus side, this week’s episode did build on its “Lethal Weapon” lead-in among adults 18-49. This week’s “Lethal Weapon” drew a 1.4 in adults 18-49.<\/p>\n
“Lethal Weapon,” on the other hand, was the bigger draw among total viewers; its audience sum of 6.12 million markedly tops that attained by “STAR.”
\n===<\/p>\n
The December 14 “STAR” premiere aired following the fall finale of flagship FOX drama “Empire.”<\/p>\n
Airing without that lead-in, without “premiere buzz” and with mediocre-to-negative reviews, Wednesday’s episode predictably fell in the overnight ratings.<\/p>\n
According to metered market data posted by Programming Insider, Wednesday’s “STAR” drew a 3.3 overnight household rating. The figure is not necessarily bad (especially if the episode skewed in the direction of younger, more advertiser-friendly viewers), but it markedly trails the 4.8 drawn by the premiere.<\/p>\n
The lead-in support was indeed weaker; Wednesday’s “Lethal Weapon” drew a 4.2 overnight household rating in the 8PM hour, while the aforementioned “Empire” posted a 5.2 on December 14.<\/p>\n
Still, the premise of premiering “STAR” after the “Empire” fall finale was to build an initial audience — and reduce dependence on lead-in. “STAR” is also an “Empire”-like musical drama from the “Empire” creator airing in the regular “Empire” timeslot, so there is clearly an extent to which “Empire” fans should have been expected to tune in.<\/p>\n
Those factors lessen the extent to which the reduced lead-in can and should be blamed for the big drop this week.<\/p>\n
Due later this morning, adults 18-49 and total viewership data may paint a more favorable (or, alternatively, more negative) picture than the overnight household ratings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[1048],"tags":[3406,255,6414,7483],"adace-sponsor":[],"yoast_head":"\n