‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ Season 18 Return On Par With 2019 Premiere, Leads Syndication Pack
The Ellen DeGeneres Show drew solid ratings in its Season 18 premiere Monday, in which DeGeneres addressed allegations of a toxic workplace that had emerged over the summer.
The series opener earned a 1.9 rating and 6 share among Households, improving its lead-in 1.2/4 by +58% in rating and 50% in share, and steady vs its year-ago September time period average rating of 1.9/6.
Versus last year’s debut episode, Ellen was steady year-to-year with a 1.1 rating among Women 25-54 and up 0.1 with Adults 25-54 (0.9), despite a declining lead-in. Among Adults 25-54, yesterday’s 0.9 rating was Ellen’s strongest-rated debut since 2016-17 (1.1 rating).
In weighted average ratings, Ellen was atop or tied for the top spot among other syndicated shows.
DeGeneres took on the allegations in her opening monologue, saying the show is “embarking on a new chapter” as she acknowledged that “things happened here that never should have happened” and she apologized “to the people who were affected.”
The Ellen season premiere was taped last Wednesday. DeGeneres’ wife, Portia de Rossi, was with her on set. According to sources, DeGeneres was applauded by crew that were present when she came off stage.
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