Criminal Minds season 15 posts ratings surge; should CBS have regrets?
Given that most series do tend to fall from one year to the next, it was fair for them to assume that the Joe Mantegna – Paget Brewster series would incur some drops. Yet, that hasn’t quite happened in the slightest — as a matter of fact, the ratings last night were the best of the season. Not only that, but with almost 5.9 million viewers, it drew the show’s largest live audience since April of 2018.
Thanks in part to its 0.9 rating in the 18-49 demographic last night, Criminal Minds season 15 is almost even with what it drew versus season 14 on average. Meanwhile, it’s actually better than the average season 14 rating in total viewers. This is hugely impressive, especially for a midseason series without a huge lead-in most of the year or a ton of promotion. (Last night, it did have a solid lead-in courtesy of a commercial special.)
For some more Criminal Minds video coverage, be sure to watch the latest take on last night’s episode below! Once you do just that, remember to subscribe to CarterMatt on YouTube and then view our full show playlist. We’ll have more news coming…
Were there some extenuating circumstances last night? Sure, with one of the biggest ones being that Criminal Minds typically airs opposite NBC’s One Chicago lineup, and these shows were all off the air last night. When they return, the ratings will probably slide a little. Also, it’s fair to wonder if the series is getting good ratings because it’s the final season and viewers know that we’re near the end of the road. We don’t foresee Criminal Minds being un-canceled in the immediate future, but all of this is worth thinking about. This is a show that is, at the moment, performing better than a number of CBS’ fall series — see All Rise, Evil, SWAT, or SEAL Team for some examples. CBS doesn’t have full ownership of it, though, and that may hamper it slightly.
Related News – Preview what is coming on the next Criminal Minds
Are you surprised by the strong performance of Criminal Minds season 15?
Be sure to share right now in the comments, and remember to stick around for some other updates on the series. (Photo: CBS.)