Ratings: ‘Survivor: Blood vs. Water’ starts okay; ‘X Factor’ USA steady

Overall, this was about the start that we expected for “Survivor: Blood vs. Water” last night, given that the competition included part of the “America’s Got Talent” finale and “The X Factor” being back on the air. For its 90-minute premiere, the show drew a solid 2.6 rating in the 18-49 demographic, and also 9.5 million viewers. While premiere numbers for the show often feel disappointing, what we have found with “Survivor” over the years is that the numbers look better as the season goes on. While most other shows lose momentum, “Survivor” fans are so loyal that they keep coming back.

The only reason we assume for the ratings not being at a 3.0 is the collection of twists, and possibly outrage over Colton Cumbie coming back at a time when CBS already has enough racial issues with “Big Brother.” But, this could change for the show either after he leaves, or if viewers decide to just ignore him and move on.

As for “The X Factor,” we assume at this point that keeping their 2.2 rating is a victory. Given how dull and scripted the audition episodes feel, staying consistent with more competition is a victory. We still don’t know if this is enough to keep the show from getting canceled after the year, but it will be interesting to see if these numbers hold once everything is back on TV.

Finally, the “America’s Got Talent” and “Big Brother” finales drew a 2.5 and 2.4, respectively. But, this is hardly news since both shows are coming back.