Soap Opera Ratings Race: Days of Our Lives Has BIG News!

The soap opera ratings race for the week ending December 28 shows Days of Our Lives ending its comeback year on quite the high note.

Days of Our Lives
DAYS has seen the most gains of any soap all year, yet continued to remain number four out of four soaps. However, all that has changed as 2018 closed out.

The 55-year-old soap ranked number three out of four soaps, overtaking General Hospital. DAYS garnered 2,412,000 viewers on average overall, up 196,000 from the week before, but down 85,000 from the week before.

However, that drop was the smallest one seen by each of the remaining daytime dramas.

With women 18-49, DAYS accomplished an even bigger feat and jumped from number four to number two, overtaking both The Bold and the Beautiful and General Hospital. It did the same with women 25-54 but ranked at number three with women 18-34.

General Hospital
On the opposite side of the spectrum is General Hospital, whose ratings have seen ups and downs (yet more downs of late) since Ron Carlivati left head writing duties three years ago. (Carlivati currently writes for DAYS.)

GH dropped to number four out of four soaps pulling in 2,318,000 viewers on average overall, only gaining a mere 2,000 from the week before, but losing a whopping 436,000 from the year before.

GH remained number three in the female demos, tying with DAYS with women 18-34.

The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless remained number one as it has for decades, garnering 4,314,000 viewers on average overall, up 344,000 from the prior week, yet down 487,000 from the prior year.

Y&R did make gains from the previous week in all three female demographics.

The Bold and the Beautiful
Sister soap The Bold and the Beautiful ranked number two as per usual, pulling in 3,379,000 viewers on average overall, up 196,000 from the previous week, and down 414,000 from the previous year.

Like the other three soaps, B&B saw gains from the prior week in all four women’s demos.