Soap Opera Ratings Race: Mixed Numbers As Soap Start New Year

The soap opera ratings race for the week ending January 5 show a mixed bag as soaps start 2018 much in the same way they began 2017.

General Hospital
General Hospital (GH) showed the most improvement as the year began, perhaps because fans tuned in to see the aftermath of Jason and Sam’s midnight kiss aboard The Haunted Star.

The soap garnered 2,889,000 viewers on average overall, up 136,000 from the week before and 71,000 from the year before. It was the only soap to gain viewers from both the previous week and previous year.

GH remained number two with women 18-49, but dropped to number three with women 18-34 and 25-54.

The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless (YR) remained in first place as always, pulling in 4,823,000 viewers on average overall, up 23,000 from the week before, but down 161,000 from the year before.

Y&R and also made gains in all three female demographics from the prior week, but lost ground from the prior year.

The Bold and the Beautiful
Sister soap The Bold and the Beautiful remained in second place, garnering 3,943,000 viewers on average overall, up 172,000 from the prior week, but down 147,000 from the prior year.

B&B reclaimed its number two spot with women 18-34 and 25-54, making gains from the previous week in all three demos.

Days of Our Lives
Days of Our Lives kept its last place spot, pulling in 2,467,000 viewers on average overall, down 29,000 from the week before, but up 76,000 from the year before. The 52-year-old soap only made slight gains with the women’s demos.