Outlander Season 4, Episode 8 saw a drop in the ratings. Was it a sign of a bad episode or just bad timing? I’m going with the latter.
Outlander Season 4, Episode 8 aired for the very first time on this day in 2018. The ratings took a big dip, hitting a season-low demo. However, this isn’t because the episode was bad.
Just look at the date. Dec. 23 is not usually a date for new episodes of TV shows, especially network TV. It’s far too close to Christmas. Plus, this was the last Sunday before Christmas, a time for people to travel and get final things done. It’s not surprising the ratings took a hit.
The benefit for STARZ is that it doesn’t rely on live ratings. And this will be why the premium cable network decided to put a new episode on instead of taking a break. The execs knew that people would watch through the app whenever they had a chance, and always within the week of the new release.
According to TV Series Finale, the total audience dropped back below the million. It’s 18% drop led to 0.908 million people tuning in. This wasn’t a season-low, but it was a sign that even Sassenachs weren’t going to tune in live on the Sunday before Christmas.
The demo was the metric at a season-low. Losing 36%, it dropped to 0.12.
This wasn’t a bad episode, though. In fact, it was the episode that saw Brianna and Roger reunite in the past. It would also be the episode that saw Brianna raped, which was something many fans were prepared for and may have played a part in the lack of live viewings. Those who would have found it traumatic would have chosen to watch through the STARZ App, so they could watch at a time they felt comfortable.
Really, it’s just a reminder that TV shows struggle with live ratings over the holiday seasons. This is why TV networks, which rely more on live ratings, opt not to air new episodes over these dates of the year anymore.
What did you think of Outlander Season 4, Episode 8? Did you get a chance to watch live? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Outlander Season 4 throwbacks continue throughout Droughtlander.