Javicia Leslie’s ‘Batwoman’ Debut Plummets 80% in Ratings From Ruby Rose’s

Javicia Leslie debuted as the new caped crusader on The CW’s “Batwoman” last night, but her start didn’t shine nearly as bright (a Bat signal) as Ruby Rose’s. Not that it was expected to. Sunday primetime was dominated by Fox’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New Orleans Saints NFL Divisional Playoffs game, which ended just shy of 10 p.m. on the east coast. Due to the nature of live sports, the below Nielsen numbers for Fox should be considered subject to adjustment. Final numbers are expected later today. The new-look “Batwoman” managed just a 0.1 rating last night in the key demo and 663,000 total viewers. Back on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2019, Rose’s “Batwoman” debuted to a 0.5 rating and 1.8 million viewers — meaning last night’s Season 2 premiere was down 80% in the demo from the series debut. That 2019 broadcast had the advantage of being in the fall instead of the winter. Plus, it was Season 1, not Season 2. And while the series premiere also went up against NFL competition, Rose’s “Batwoman” did not kick off against the playoffs. Back then, the series would decline pretty significantly among adults 18-49 in Week 2, when it got a 0.3 rating. The holiday weekend also didn’t help Leslie get off to a flying start. Delayed viewing numbers could provide a closer comparison.

Fox was first in ratings with a 6.4 rating in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic and in total viewers with an average of 23.1 million, according to preliminary numbers. The football game, which occupied the 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. time slots on the east coast, posted an 8.0 rating and 28.8 million total viewers. At 10, which is not a time slot Fox usually programs on a national basis, a special airing of new animated comedy “The Great North” put up a heavily inflated 2.6 rating and 8.4 million viewers A “Family Guy” episode at 9:30, which was also coded as a special due to the time slot, landed a 1.1 and 3.3 million viewers.

CBS was second in ratings with a 0.6 and in viewers with 6 million. “60 Minutes” at 7 drew a 1.1 and 10.2 million viewers. At 8, “NCIS: Los Angeles” had a 0.6 and 5.4 million viewers. “NCIS: New Orleans” at 9 got a 0.5 and 4.9 million viewers. A rerun followed.

ABC was third in ratings with a 0.4 and in viewers with 3 million. “America’s Funniest Home Videos” at 7 had a 0.5 and 4 million viewers. At 8, “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” got a 0.4 and 2.7 million viewers. “Card Sharks” at 9 received a 0.3 and 1.9 million viewers. “The Rookie” at 10 picked things back up a bit — especially among older Americans — with a 0.4 and 3.6 million viewers.

NBC was fourth in ratings with a 0.3 and in viewers with 1.4 million, airing all reruns.

The CW finished in last place on broadcast, averaging a 0.1 rating and 420,000 total viewers. A repeat followed Javicia Leslie’s “Batwoman” debut. We do not currently have Nielsen numbers for the Spanish-language broadcast channels Univision and Telemundo.