Soap Opera Ratings for the Week of May 18-22, 2026

What follows is a breakdown of how the daytime soap operas performed during the week of May 18-22, 2026, in Total Viewers, Households, Women 18-49 rating and Women 25-54 rating, including changes compared to Last Week (LW) and Last Year (LY).

Note: Starting with the 2025-2026 television season, Nielsen ratings are based on the Live+Same Day Big Data + Panel model, with last year’s figures based on the former Live+Same Day Panel-only model (2024-2025 season).

***Please do not copy and paste the entire ratings. Thank you.***

Week of May 18-22, 2026 Summary / Rankings

Total Viewers

RankShowTotal
ViewersChange
(LW/LY)1. Y&R3,136,000(+4,000/+240,000)2. B&B2,714,000(-23,000/+229,000)3.GH1,809,000(-88,000/-32,000)4.BTG1,626,000(+21,000/+85,000)Source: Nielsen (Live+Same Day Big Data + Panel) – May 18-22, 2026

Households

RankShowHousehold
RatingChange
(LW/LY)1.Y&R2.0(same/+0.1)2.B&B1.8(same/+0.2)3.GH1.2(same/same)4.BTG1.1(same/+0.1)Source: Nielsen (Live+Same Day Big Data + Panel) – May 18-22, 2026

Women 18-49 Rating

RankShowW18-49
RatingChange
(LW/LY)1.Y&R0.21(-0.04/-0.04)2.B&B0.20(-0.01/-0.02)3.GH0.15(-0.04/-0.06)3.BTG0.15(-0.03/-0.03)Source: Nielsen (Live+Same Day Big Data + Panel) – May 18-22, 2026

Women 25-54 Rating

RankShowW25-54
RatingChange
(LW/LY)1.Y&R0.42(same/-0.02)2.B&B0.33(-0.01/-0.07)3.BTG0.22(-0.05/-0.09)4.GH0.21(-0.05/-0.12)Source: Nielsen (Live+Same Day Big Data + Panel) – May 18-22, 2026

Day-To-Day – Women 18-49/Women 25-54

BTG / Beyond the Gates (CBS)

DayW18-49
RatingW25-54
RatingDuration
(In Minutes)Monday0.130.2060Tuesday0.180.2660Wednesday0.160.2360Thursday0.150.2260Friday0.130.1960SUM:0.150.22300Source: Nielsen (Live+Same Day Big Data + Panel) – May 18-22, 2026

B&B / The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)

DayW18-49
RatingW25-54
RatingDuration
(In Minutes)Monday0.170.3130Tuesday0.200.3130Wednesday0.230.3630Thursday0.220.3830Friday0.170.2925SUM:0.200.33145Source: Nielsen (Live+Same Day Big Data + Panel) – May 18-22, 2026

GH / General Hospital (ABC)

DayW18-49
RatingW25-54
RatingDuration
(In Minutes)Monday0.180.2460Tuesday0.180.2360Wednesday0.130.1754Thursday0.170.2260Friday0.110.1960SUM:0.150.21294Source: Nielsen (Live+Same Day Big Data + Panel) – May 18-22, 2026

Y&R / The Young and the Restless (CBS)

DayW18-49
RatingW25-54
RatingDuration
(In Minutes)Monday0.160.3560Tuesday0.240.4560Wednesday0.240.4560Thursday0.220.4560Friday0.200.3958SUM:0.210.42298Source: Nielsen (Live+Same Day Big Data + Panel) – May 18-22, 2026

The numbers above are calculated using Live+Same Day Big Data + Panel viewing and DVR playback, defined as 3:00 a.m.-3:00 a.m., and are courtesy of Nielsen. Ratings are the percentage of U.S. TV viewers who tuned in to a specific program.

Beginning August 31, 2020, national ratings include Out-of-Home (OOH) viewing. Previously, ratings did not include OOH viewing. Averages are based on regular telecasts.

LEGEND

P = PremiereR = RepeatS = SpecialNR = Not Rated / Not RankedN/A = Not Available* denotes further information