Ratings: ‘The Amazing Race’ hurt badly by Friday move; ‘Hawaii Five-0’ also down

Did CBS completely kill “The Amazing Race” by moving it to Friday nights? It’s hard to say that for sure right now, but it is not looking good.

The ratings have just come in from this past night’s lineup, and the 25th season of the competition show drew just a 1.1 rating in the 18-49 demographic. This is the lowest-rated new episode to date, though there may be many reasons for it that go even beyond its move. For one, the promotion may not have been that great, there may be some burnout thanks to other reality competitions, and you also had it airings against “Shark Tank,” which is proven on Fridays and may draw a similar audience right now.

We do feel like the show will improve its viewership over the next few weeks, as more and more people start to figure out where it is. This is just a tough time to really make something work, since you have to establish loyalty there. “Hawaii Five-0” (1.3) and “Blue Bloods” (1.2, despite over 10 million viewers) were not a whole lot better, and they’ve been on Friday for a little while now. The other reason these shows will improve is because right now, we’re not really at the point where anyone is discouraged from going outside and doing things. That will change a little way down the road, when temperatures will cool down and TV becomes a more appealing option.

With this being said, we have a hard time imagining “The Amazing Race” continuing if it continues to draw these sort of numbers. We figure that producers are already planning a season 26, and maybe that will still happen. Beyond that, though, the future seems very unclear.

What do you think about these numbers? Share with a comment, and race over here to read our full “Amazing Race” premiere review. Also, you can sign up now to get some further news on everything we cover via our CarterMatt Newsletter.

Photo: CBS