Outlander season 5 ratings expectations: Are there high hopes?

In just a matter of days, the Outlander season 5 premiere is going to be airing on Starz … and it’s fair to say ratings expectations are high. There’s been an extensive promotional campaign out there including print campaigns, TV spots, and a whole lot more. We’re almost at a point where the only thing left to do is to just watch the show and enjoy it.

So how is Outlander going to fare in the ratings? Let’s start with looking at the live ratings averages for season 4 — 1.04 million total viewers. This is a decline from the show’s season 3 average, but that doesn’t mean that the numbers are actually down. The majority of Outlander viewers, to be frank, are not watching live — they are checking it out via some other means. They’re watching the show via DVR, they’re watching at midnight on the app, and they’re also checking out other airings. TV ratings are good as a litmus test, but are not indicative of overall viewership.

Still, when thinking about our season 5 ratings expectations, we’re hoping to see it still make it to around a million viewers an episode. There could actually be more viewers on average over the course of the week, but we’d be surprised if there is a rise in live viewership in this era. If anything, more viewers will probably be watching on the app or after the fact. Appointment viewing is falling by the wayside. The important thing is that the live viewership doesn’t fall off a cliff, and that social-media numbers for Outlander remain strong. The overall breadth of the show’s community will be a key determining factor in a season 7 renewal, which we imagine will be determined at some point before the end of this year.

We’ll have more reports on the ratings over time, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for them!

What are some of your expectations for the Outlander season 5 premiere ratings-wise?

Be sure to share now in the comments! Also, remember to stick around — we’ll have some more news moving forward.

Photo: Starz