Jon and Kate Plus 8 Season Premiere Breaks Ratings Records

The Jon and Kate Plus 8 season premiere garnered even more viewers than TLC could have hoped. The season five premiere episode for Jon and Kate Plus 8 not only beat the season finale of season four, but it brought in the highest numbers that the series has ever attracted. If you are already a fan of Jon and Kate Plus 8, then you know that this is the most watched program on TLC, and when they increase their numbers, they simply set new records for their particular show. The Jon and Kate Plus 8 season premiere brought in 9.8 million viewers during the one hour special.

Let's take a minute to analyze exactly what the number of viewer's means for the show and the network. The season four finale of the show was the most watched episode before this one, and it brought in 4.6 million viewers. That means that TLC nearly doubled its estimated viewership, and not only beat the highest numbers they had ever gained; they demolished them and put themselves in a new tax bracket with this ratings. These numbers are still unofficial, but it would seem that the gold mine that TLC found with Jon and Kate Plus 8 still has a lot of precious stones to be dug up.

To look at the numbers for the Jon and Kate season premiere, it also has to be brought in with the other networks, and that this is summer viewing must be factored in. The 9.8 million viewers was not only a high for TLC, but it won the time slot including all networks. That means that the TLC "reality" show drew in more viewers than ABC (which was showing The Bachelorette), NBC, CBS, and Fox, as well as every other cable network on television. These numbers have catapulted Jon and Kate Plus 8 from just being the darling of the network, to one of the most watched shows on television.

TLC probably expected the ratings to go up for Jon and Kate Plus 8 after the off-season drama that had been surrounding the Gosselin family. Bringing them back so quickly for a summer season seemed to be the right move from a production standpoint, and whoever posed that idea at TLC is probably due for a raise very soon. To not only break network records but to flat out destroy the broadcast networks, let alone accomplish all of this on a holiday, is no small achievement. Those within the production of the show will probably hope that the ratings continue to stay this high, and as more and more people become aware of the show and its internal drama, Jon and Kate Plus 8 becomes more of a cultural phenomenon.

Source:Entertainment Weekly