‘Nashville’ season 5 premiere: How did it do in the ratings?

For most of the past several weeks, the season 5 premiere of “Nashville” was hyped up extensively, and we understand why given the journey that it went on to get a new eventual home on CMT. This was a show that was canceled by ABC at the end of this past season, and after a lengthy search / fan campaign, we eventually saw a collaboration between CMT and Hulu bring the show back to life.

So how did it fare in the numbers Thursday for its big premiere? Well, not so great. According to TVbythenumbers, the show’s return drew a 0.5 rating in the 18-49 demographic to go along with 1.74 million viewers, but that is factoring in several different networks across the Viacom family who aired it on the night. On CMT itself, the show drew a woeful 0.1 rating and just over 420,000 viewers. By comparison, the season 4 finale (which aired on ABC and ABC only) received a 0.9 rating and almost 4.2 million viewers.

Of course, we did anticipate some of the numbers going down for “Nashville” on the night, mostly because it would be stupid to assume otherwise when you consider that you’re moving from broadcast to cable, plus also airing a special “preview” of the new season separate from the rest (which is coming in January).

Here’s the good news: If the majority of the viewers who watched the premiere across multiple networks come to CMT to watch the remainder of the season, that’s not so bad, especially for a network that’s not known for its scripted fare. If the combined rating is a one-time thing, that’s a little bit of a cause for concern. While this show should generate some strong DVR playback and having the Hulu deal helps, you do want as many viewers watching live as possible to monetize the show.

How are you watching “Nashville” this season? Let us know in the comments, and head over here to get some other news when it comes to the show. (Photo: CMT.)