The premiere airing of Friday's episode (107) of Spartacus: Blood and Sand averaged 0.974 million and again had a .4 rating with adults 18-49.
Someone wrote to ask why I spent so much time focusing on this show's ratings since it has already been renewed for season two. It's a good question, and the only answer I have is because I feel like it! I find the show disturbingly watchable for some reason. But more than that, with Starz being only in around 22 million homes it's interesting to me to see what kind of ratings it can pull. If it was in four times as many homes and pulling four times the ratings nobody would have any issue with the attention it gets since it would be one of cable's biggest hits.
Though Friday's episode ranks second to the previous Friday, the total Friday night viewership (10PM + 12:46AM repeat) registered more viewers (1.26 million) than any other episode’s combined Friday telecasts, including 2/26 (1.21 million) episode.
Season 1 ratings for Spartacus: Blood and Sand:
| Date | Net | Show | 18-49 Rating/Sh | Viewers (Millons) |
| 22-Jan-10 | STRZ | Spartacus: Blood and Sand | .3/1 | 0.659 |
| 29-Jan-10 | STRZ | Spartacus: Blood and Sand | .4/1 | 0.773 |
| 5-Feb-10 | STRZ | Spartacus: Blood and Sand | .4/1 | 0.858 |
| 12-Feb-10 | STRZ | Spartacus: Blood and Sand | .3/1 | 0.662 |
| 19-Feb-10 | STRZ | Spartacus: Blood and Sand | .4/1 | 0.846 |
| 26-Feb-10 | STRZ | Spartacus: Blood and Sand | .4/1 | 1.078 |
| 5-Mar-10 | STRZ | Spartacus: Blood and Sand | .4/1 | 0.974 |
I know the numbers don't seem like much, but for Starz, these are a pretty big deal. It's not far behind this week's ratings performance for Caprica on Syfy and Syfy is available in about 75 million more homes than Starz.
Nielsen Ratings Data: ©2010 The Nielsen Company. All Rights Reserved. All ratings above Live+SD (live viewing plus same day DVR viewing)
i wonder how the ratings will be for this fridays episode now that the episode is making its way around online
i wonder how the ratings will be for this fridays episode now that the episode is making its way around online
i wonder how the ratings will be for this fridays episode now that the episode is making its way around online
i wonder how the ratings will be for this fridays episode now that the episode is making its way around online
Great show – somehow hooks you in to see what the gladiator will survive next week. The actor playing Spartacus was a perfect selection. Scary, fearless, passionate, and captivating. The show may have better ratings on some network like SYFY, but could they really say and show the things I’ve come to love about the show? The gritty and raw portrayal is exactly what kept me watching through the first few episodes. Maybe HBO could handle Spartacus.
I don’t subscribe to Starz. I found Spartacus on Netflix’ streaming list – and happy I did. I just hope the luster doesn’t leave the show like Showtime’s The Tudors, and end too soon. Like the crowds of Rome I hope to see more of Spartacus.
Great show – somehow hooks you in to see what the gladiator will survive next week. The actor playing Spartacus was a perfect selection. Scary, fearless, passionate, and captivating. The show may have better ratings on some network like SYFY, but could they really say and show the things I’ve come to love about the show? The gritty and raw portrayal is exactly what kept me watching through the first few episodes. Maybe HBO could handle Spartacus.
I don’t subscribe to Starz. I found Spartacus on Netflix’ streaming list – and happy I did. I just hope the luster doesn’t leave the show like Showtime’s The Tudors, and end too soon. Like the crowds of Rome I hope to see more of Spartacus.
Great show – somehow hooks you in to see what the gladiator will survive next week. The actor playing Spartacus was a perfect selection. Scary, fearless, passionate, and captivating. The show may have better ratings on some network like SYFY, but could they really say and show the things I’ve come to love about the show? The gritty and raw portrayal is exactly what kept me watching through the first few episodes. Maybe HBO could handle Spartacus.
I don’t subscribe to Starz. I found Spartacus on Netflix’ streaming list – and happy I did. I just hope the luster doesn’t leave the show like Showtime’s The Tudors, and end too soon. Like the crowds of Rome I hope to see more of Spartacus.
not only is mark of the brotherhood online but the episode after that titled whore is out online as well so i think the ratings will go down a tic more
not only is mark of the brotherhood online but the episode after that titled whore is out online as well so i think the ratings will go down a tic more
not only is mark of the brotherhood online but the episode after that titled whore is out online as well so i think the ratings will go down a tic more
Great show – somehow hooks you in to see what the gladiator will survive next week. The actor playing Spartacus was a perfect selection. Scary, fearless, passionate, and captivating. The show may have better ratings on some network like SYFY, but could they really say and show the things I’ve come to love about the show? The gritty and raw portrayal is exactly what kept me watching through the first few episodes. Maybe HBO could handle Spartacus.
I don’t subscribe to Starz. I found Spartacus on Netflix’ streaming list – and happy I did. I just hope the luster doesn’t leave the show like Showtime’s The Tudors, and end too soon. Like the crowds of Rome I hope to see more of Spartacus.
not only is mark of the brotherhood online but the episode after that titled whore is out online as well so i think the ratings will go down a tic more
Robert,
I’m wondering how much you think Starz cares about the initial ratings. Wouldn’t they care more about combined ratings, including repeat airings throughout the week? (I’ve wondered the same thing about “Damages” on FX as well, because don’t tell sell ads based on all of the weekly airings’ ratings, not just the initial one?)
Robert,
I’m wondering how much you think Starz cares about the initial ratings. Wouldn’t they care more about combined ratings, including repeat airings throughout the week? (I’ve wondered the same thing about “Damages” on FX as well, because don’t tell sell ads based on all of the weekly airings’ ratings, not just the initial one?)
Robert,
I’m wondering how much you think Starz cares about the initial ratings. Wouldn’t they care more about combined ratings, including repeat airings throughout the week? (I’ve wondered the same thing about “Damages” on FX as well, because don’t tell sell ads based on all of the weekly airings’ ratings, not just the initial one?)
J,
Starz likely only cares about ratings at all on a relative basis, that is, relative to how other Starz shows do and relative to how happy its subscribers are. Otherwise, as a premium subscription network with no advertising there’s not a lot of value in the ratings for Starz other than PR (Same for HBO, Showtime, etc).
Typically the premiere airing of a show is where it gets most of its viewing, it’s true for Burn Notice, Sons of Anarchy, Mad Men, Damages and it’s obviously true here . I’m sure within Starz they will also look at the combined ratings versus other shows on Starz.
J,
Starz likely only cares about ratings at all on a relative basis, that is, relative to how other Starz shows do and relative to how happy its subscribers are. Otherwise, as a premium subscription network with no advertising there’s not a lot of value in the ratings for Starz other than PR (Same for HBO, Showtime, etc).
Typically the premiere airing of a show is where it gets most of its viewing, it’s true for Burn Notice, Sons of Anarchy, Mad Men, Damages and it’s obviously true here . I’m sure within Starz they will also look at the combined ratings versus other shows on Starz.
J,
Starz likely only cares about ratings at all on a relative basis, that is, relative to how other Starz shows do and relative to how happy its subscribers are. Otherwise, as a premium subscription network with no advertising there’s not a lot of value in the ratings for Starz other than PR (Same for HBO, Showtime, etc).
Typically the premiere airing of a show is where it gets most of its viewing, it’s true for Burn Notice, Sons of Anarchy, Mad Men, Damages and it’s obviously true here . I’m sure within Starz they will also look at the combined ratings versus other shows on Starz.
I don’t even have Starz and I still like reading about the ratings for this show, week by week. I think it’s because the subscriber base for Starz is around the same as Showtime and so I can compare the ratings between the two. So, I agree that for a subscriber base of this size that Blood and Sand is so far doing very well.
I don’t even have Starz and I still like reading about the ratings for this show, week by week. I think it’s because the subscriber base for Starz is around the same as Showtime and so I can compare the ratings between the two. So, I agree that for a subscriber base of this size that Blood and Sand is so far doing very well.