Soap Opera Ratings Race: Low Numbers for Y&R, Mixed Numbers for Other Soaps

Number one rated “The Young and the Restless” saw significant drops in the soap opera ratings race for the week ending July 15.

Number One and Losing Ground
Although Y&R retained its perpetual top spot, pulling 4,431,000 viewers, it lost 235,000 from the week before and 464,000 from the same time last year. In the coveted female 18-49 demographic, the soap tied hit an all-time low–with 574,000 overall viewers. It took a loss of 80,000 from the week before and 218,000 from the previous year.

Y&R’s sister soap, “The Bold and the Beautiful” tied its all-time low in the 18-49 demo, pulling in 509,000 viewers on average, but down 28,000 from the week before and 121,000 from the year before.

Some Gains for GH and DAYS
“General Hospital” also lost viewers overall. The 53-year-old soap pulled in 2,580,000 viewers, down 7,000 from the week before and 103,000 from the year before. “Days of Our Lives” was the lone soap to make any overall gains, with 2,092,000 overall viewers, up 47,000 from the week before, but down 204,000 from the same time last year.

Both DAYS and GH gained viewers from the week before in the 18-49 female demo, as well as the 25-54 female demo. However, both shows lost viewers in the 18-34 women’s demo.