Has “Duck Dynasty” lost its quack?
Season 6 of the A&E reality hit premiered Wednesday night, drawing significantly fewer viewers than the Season 5 premiere in January.
Also read: ‘Duck Dynasty’ Finale Suffers Huge Drop From Last Season Ender
Wednesday’s “Duck Dynasty” premiere drew 4.6 million total viewers — nearly 4 million less than the 8.5 million who tuned in for the Season 5 premiere.
The slide continues a sharp downward trajectory for the show. The 8.5 million who tuned in for the Season 5 premiere was itself a dramatic drop from the 11.8 million total viewers who tuned in for the Season 4 premiere in August 2013. Granted, the Season 4 premiere set a record for the series, but still — those are pretty big back-to-back declines.
Also read: ‘Duck Dynasty’ Star: Show Was Started to ‘Get the Message of God Out There’
Wednesday night’s numbers are also a drop from the Season 5 finale in March, which had 6 million total viewers.
The Season 5 premiere was the first new episode to air after series patriarch Phil Robertson stirred controversy by making anti-gay comments during a GQ interview. Robertson was suspended from the series, but quickly reinstated following a backlash over the suspension.