Ellen DeGeneres has a problem.
The ratings for her first week, in metered markets, were down 25% from last year. According to tvnewscheck.com, “The Ellen Show” scored only 800,00 viewers in its return week. Just 300,000 were in the desired 25-54 age group. DeGeneres’s show was 25% down in the key demo and 11% off over all.
More numbers will be in soon, but “The Ellen Show” finished 5th among all syndicated talk shows. “Live with Kelly and Ryan” was number 1 with 1.9 million viewers.
DeGeneres should be concerned that she lost the young and younger women advertisers depend on. They were obviously aware of her “toxic backstage” scandal. It’s taken a big bite of her audience.
“Judge Judy,” on the other hand, returned up 6% with 5.7 million viewers. This is her 25th and last season but she’ll go out with the banging of a gavel.
Drew Barrymore’s show came in tied for 9th place with Wendy Williams. Drew had 700,000 viewers. The show she replaced in New York, “Hot Bench,” carried on in other time slots and channels with 1.7 million viewers. I know a lot of people miss “Hot Bench” in New York at 9am on CBS 2. And “Live with Kelly and Ryan” is probably happy it’s gone from direct competition.
Elsewhere, among magazine shows, everyone’s watching “Entertainment Tonight” and “Inside Edition.” But “Extra” with Billy Bush is down 14%. That’s a huge drop. I don’t know what’s happening there but it’s not good.
