Networks used to compete for live ratings, but now they compete for live ratings and streaming dominance. Each season sees viewers transition from watching shows live to streaming on numerous platforms, with many shows’ streaming audience beating live viewers. ABC is one of the broadcast networks seeing significant gains in streaming, with procedurals like High Potential, 9-1-1, and The Rookie finding wide appeal among younger viewers, which translates into a bigger streaming pie. New episodes of ABC shows are available to stream on Hulu and Disney+ in the U.S. the night after they air, but one leads the pack domestically and internationally.
That show is The Rookie, the 2018 police procedural starring Nathan Fillion as John Nolan. The series starts with the character undergoing a life-changing experience that pushes him to reevaluate his life and become a police officer. The series has widened its scope throughout the years, exploring various aspects of policing and wider law enforcement. The Rookie, despite being a high-octane action-thriller, balances that with grounded characters and humor, which has widened its appeal with younger viewers, especially with Gen Z. The series is currently airing its eighth season, which continues to see major streaming gains. According to FlixPatrol, The Rookie is one of the most-watched shows on Hulu in the U.S. The series ranked third, behind High Potential and the new Scott Speedman series, R.J. Decker. However, the show’s popularity extends beyond the U.S., showing up on country-specific charts on platforms like Netflix, TV 2 Norge, WOW, and even PVOD services like iTunes.
ABC’s own recent reports reveal that The Rookie is still holding strong domestically with an average of 9.19 million viewers. This makes it the third most-watched ABC series behind High Potential and Will Trent. ABC claims three of the top five spots in broadcast ratings this season, with the rest going to CBS’ Tracker and Matlock. In the key demo, The Rookie came third with a 1.97 rating. High Potential (2.36) and Dancing with the Stars (2.09) claim the top two positions.
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What To Expect in This Week’s Episode of ‘The Rookie’
A brand-new episode titled “His Name Was Martin” airs on ABC on Monday, March 9. In it, “Nolan, Harper (Mekia Cox) and Miles (Deric Augustine) face a dangerous situation when a routine check takes a sudden turn. Meanwhile, Bailey (Jenna Dewan) conducts a covert investigation at the Pentagon at the request of Lt. Grey (Richard T. Jones),” the official logline teases. The Rookie also stars Eric Winter (Tim), Melissa O’Neil (Lucy), Lisseth Chavez (Celina), Shawn Ashmore (Wesley), and Alyssa Diaz (Lopez).
Watch The Rookie on ABC on Mondays or stream on Hulu in the U.S. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
Release Date
October 16, 2018
Showrunner
Alexi Hawley