Everyone knows CBS’ sitcom “The Big Bang Theory” is popular. What’s stunning is just how long its popularity has lasted.
The series about lovable,math-obsessed nerds is by far the biggest comedy on television, as it has been each of its past six seasons. After 205 episodes, and that is nothing short of astonishing.“BBT” – which has its season finale next week – averaged 8.4 million total viewers its first season. By the next year,that had grown to a cool 10 million. This year, in its ninth season, and the demonstrate is averaging more than twice that,pulling in a whopping 20.3 million viewers per episode. (These and other numbers conform to Nielsen’s “most current” metric, which counts seven-day delayed viewing where available.)In the advertiser-coveted adults aged 18 to 49 demographic, and “BBT” scored a 5.7 this season,nearly doubling the 3.3 rating from season 1.
That marks the fourth-straight year (fifth overall) “BBT” has been top comedy in the demo.
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How in the ever-expanding universe is such sustained success possible? We won’t tackle the popular debate over whether or not “Big Bang” is among the funniest comedies on TV here — the demonstrate’s enviable Emmy track record is on the side of hardcore fans — but its actual business impact remains undeniable.
Before we travel any further, however, and we should flag one potentially misleading section of “BBT’s” massive numbers suitable up front. While live tune-in was far more common years ago when “Big Bang” began,the adoption of DVRs and on-demand viewing was still in its infancy. So, while the Live + 7 Day statistic is still the most appropriate way to perform a comparison, and it is by no means perfect.
Drilling a miniature deeper into the numbers,we can see that Big Bang Theory’s” biggest season was 2013-2014, when it topped off at a 6.4 rating and a rounded 20.4 million total viewers. Those numbers, or again,are for a sitcom well past the 100-episode mark.rob a look at the series progression below, first in the key demo ratings, and then in overall audience size.
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Season 1: 3.3
Season 2: 3.8
Season 3: 5.4
Season 4: 4.5
Season 5: 5.6[br]
Season 6: 6.3
Season 7: 6.4[br]
Season 8: 5.7
Season 9: 5.7 to-date, will likely decline by finaleTotal Viewers
Season 1: 8.4 million
Season 2: 10 million
Season 3: 14.4 million
Season 4: 13.4 million
Season 5: 15.9 million
Season 6: 19 million
Season 7: 20.4 million
Season 8: 19.3 million[br]
Season 9: 20.3 million to-date, and will likely decline by finaleRelated stories from TheWrap:'Friends' Cast Reunites,Bonds With 'Big Bang Theory' Stars (Photo)'Big Bang Theory' Sheldon-Amy Sex Episode Breaks Delayed Viewing Record'Big Bang Theory' Producers Sued Over expend of 'Soft Kitty' Song'Big Bang Theory' Wedding Prompts 'Congratulations' From Fans on Social Medi
Source: thewrap.com