With a few exceptions, new fall TV programs have kicked off to a pretty great start on the various networks. However, the same is not true of all of the returning shows. In fact, this week saw a few startling downfalls in the ratings, from a pretty big percentage drop for comedy juggernaut The Big Bang Theory to a significant decrease for ABC's Shark Tank this past Friday. In fact, the numbers for Shark Tank were particularly bad.
Shark Tank returned to the schedule for Season 8 this past Friday. Ratings reveal that Shark Tank only brought in 4.9 million total viewers. The low overall turnout led to a pretty low rating in the 18-49 demographic, as well, bringing in only a 1.1 rating per TV Series Finale. The show was up against some strong competition from CBS, which premiered MacGyver, as well as the crowd pleasers Hawaii Five-0 and Blue Bloods. However, it should also be noted that some of the other major networks haven't even premiered their fall schedules, yet. The niche favorite Grimm hasn't hit the schedule on NBC, and the CW's fall lineup, including Friday night, won't hit the schedule until October. So, the competition is only going to get worse as the weeks wear on.
There could be a few reasons why Shark Tank is down in its latest season. The series is getting older. Eight seasons is a long time to be on the air, and interest might be lower. In addition, the other networks have spent considerable time over the last couple of seasons putting together lineups with fan favorites that can be competitive. The networks also spend a lot of time and money to make sure viewers know when the new shows are premiering, but sometimes fans don't know exactly when returning favorites will be back, which means Shark Tank could improve in the weeks to come.
Regardless, the history of Shark Tank has been rife with ups and downs. The show started out slowly on ABC network, and it took several seasons for the ABC drama to start picking up momentum. It was only in Season 4 that the show started bumping up over 7 million total viewers in Live+ Same Day ratings for the first time. The last few seasons have seen the show crush---especially in the advertising demographic---but it did take some time for the show to become a network juggernaut.
Obviously, one week of ratings isn't enough to sink a show, but if Shark Tank continues to be down in the ratings in the weeks to come, there could be troubled waters ahead for the series. We'll let you know how the ABC series fares throughout the TV season.
If you were someone who missed the Shark Tank premiere, we can help you make sure that you don't miss any more of your favorites. Check out our fall TV premiere schedule to find out when the rest of the fall TV shows are expected to air. You can also check out our ratings roundup to see how the newest network TV shows are doing.
