Demo ratings in broadcast primetime have declined into mere fractional numbers. But media companies including Paramount Global still look at their streaming platforms as kind of triple-A affiliates — the place where you demote shows that aren’t hitting on the network.
Case in point: The freshman reality dating show The Real Love Boat, which has averaged 2.4 million viewers and a 0.3 rating in the key 18-49 viewer demographic in the four airings since it premiered Oct. 5, is being moved off CBS and onto Paramount Plus.
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The fifth episode of the show will run exclusively on Paramount, debuting Nov. 2, with the rest of the season unspooling weekly each Wednesday. All four subsequent episodes can be watched on Paramount Plus, as well.
Airing Wednesdays at 9 p.m., The Real Love Boat is hosted by Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O’Connell, seeking to pair singles as they sailed the Mediterranean on a luxury Princess cruise ship.
Notably, the reality show hasn’t been able to hold the lead-in audience of its long-running predecessor, Survivor, which has averaged 4.9 million viewers and a 0.9 demo rating so far this season.
The move doesn’t necessarily mean The Real Love Boat is getting scrapped for metal. CBS moved SEAL Team to Paramount Plus last year, and Paramount ended up renewing the show for season 6 on the streaming platform.
Paramount said it had 43.3 million streaming subscribers at the end of Q2, most of them residing on Paramount Plus. With on-demand access to binge viewing, it’s not hard to imagine The Real Love Boat floating audience numbers among younger viewers far better than it is on linear broadcast.
