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With the constant social media trends and the gossip that lights up the pop culture zeitgeist, “The Bachelor” continues to be a phenomenon, despite lower ratings this season.
Although the 25th season of the ABC dating show led Monday nights, overtaking other networks in the 18-49 key demo, fewer viewers are tuning into this season than ever before, with an overnight viewership of less than 5 million over the past two weeks, although those numbers would surely be expected to increase if viewed later.
“I actually think you’re going to see the ratings go up more exponentially than in previous seasons because people are going to start talking about it and word of mouth is going to kick in,” said Rob Mills, director of ABC, noting that star Matt James is a newbie to the world of “The Bachelor.” (Typically, the show’s tracks are from previous seasons, while James was hand-picked by the cast, but never appeared in any franchise-related seasons.)
“We’re kind of starting off on a blank page, which I think is a good thing,” adds Mills, the network’s senior vice president for alternative series, specials and late-night programming, who oversees the “The Bachelor” franchise. “It’s really great to have connective tissue over multiple seasons, but I think it’s good to start a new chapter.”
James is the very first Black Bachelor. In 2017, the franchise had its first black run when Rachel Lindsay became “The Bachelorette,” and since then the series has been committed to continuing to diversify the series, both on camera and behind the scenes. In recent years, the cast of contestants has become more inclusive, and the most recent “Bachelorette” was Tayshia Adams, a biracial woman who is Black and Latinx.
This season has assembled the most diverse pool of applicants during the casting process, reveals Mills, which he hopes indicates that the franchise is successfully spreading the message that “The Bachelor” is for everything. the world.
“We’ve been very public about our shortcomings and how we really need to do better, and we’re definitely trying,” Mills says. “Starting with Rachel as our first diverse lead role, I hope now we’re really showing a person of color that, ‘This is a show for me,’ where the hell I hate to say there is even five years, that probably wasn’t the feeling.
When Lindsay was on “The Bachelorette” three years ago, “The Bachelor” creator Mike Fleiss said he was troubled by the drop in ratings, indicating that the audience trend was related to the race. “I found it incredibly disturbing in a sort of Trumpish,” Fleiss told the New York Times in 2018. “How are you going to explain the fact that she’s down in the ratings, when – black or white – Was she amazing Bachelorette? That revealed something about our fans.
Although James’ season started off with the lowest odds for a premiere in “Bachelor” history, Mills believes there are a lot of reasons at play when analyzing the numbers – mainly, James being new to Bachelor. Nation – and the executive is hoping viewers continue to fall in love with James as the season progresses, which will be reflected in the numbers. In fact, this week’s episode saw a significant demo boost, up from last week’s episode, getting an 11.11% increase among adult viewers aged 18-49 and over. 1.03% of total nighttime viewers.
“I just don’t know, but I think it’s a quick rejection if you say that,” Mills said when asked if race could be a viewer factor.
“Obviously we could watch it all and study it, but I don’t think anyone will say, ‘I don’t watch’ The Bachelor ‘because the lead role is diverse’ – and if that’s why someone ‘one, then you miss something and that’s your downfall,’ Mills says bluntly. “We have so much more diversity, not just now with leads, but with casting in a holistic way. Listen, we’re up some seasons and down others.
The commitment to diversity is unquestionable, confirms Mills, regardless of how the leaderboards perform from season to season.
“We’re expanding our audience, and that’s for the best,” he says. “The only thing I’ll say is where ‘The Bachelor’ is dominant above all else, I would almost say on TV, in younger demos, definitely between 18 and 34, and if you look at this generation, they more enlightened. You see a lot more stories from young people that are relevant. So if we’re getting older because people don’t want to see more diversity, well, they’re missing out and they’re going to be out of the demo soon anyway, and that will definitely give the franchise a lifespan. much longer. “
For a franchise that’s been around for nearly two decades with over 50 combined seasons of the flagship show, “The Bachelorette” and other spinoffs, the power of “The Bachelor” is undeniable – especially when the numbers are down. on TV with an endless stream of new streaming platforms, not to mention a cycle of political news that has drawn viewers’ attention to cable news more than ever.
“We see the ‘The Bachelor’ franchise as a 365 day a year job and we still want to be a huge pop culture sensation, which we clearly are. I’d be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t at least know something about “The Bachelor” and who is aware that it is right now, ”Mills says. “But when the numbers are down we look at all the reasons, but I certainly think it’s more about people getting to know Matt. It’s the first time in so long that we’ve had someone who has no connection to the franchise, and when you have a bachelor’s degree going through this season, everyone knows who that person is and what their story is and wants to watch her have her turn, after seeing them heartbroken on TV. “
James was initially introduced to the executives of “The Bachelor” during the season casting of Clare Crawley. When production for its season was pushed by the pandemic, the entire franchise was delayed and planning for “The Bachelor” had to be rushed, so James was selected as the show’s next star, albeit he does not appear on a previous season of “The Bachelorette”. “
Mills says as the season approached, viewers only knew the surface of James – they didn’t know his backstory, like other former contestants who stepped into lead roles.
“All they knew about Matt’s arrival was that he is an incredibly good-looking man with a great career, who is charitable and who seeks love,” says Mills. “Now, thanks to the dates, we are learning a lot more about him. You learn more about its backstory during the dates. You don’t just listen to women, but what Matt says as well, because viewers really don’t know him.
Mills sings his praises for James, who he says is one of their strongest graduates of all time, in addition to the cast of nominees, whom the executive describes as some of the most dynamic women they have. never had in the series.
But when it comes to launching the new star of “The Bachelorette”, chances are the new star will be a familiar face.
“I would say with 99.9% definitely, ‘The Bachelorette’ is going to be someone who comes from one of our previous seasons,” Mills shares, adding, “Probably Matt, but at least someone who is familiar to Bachelor Nation. “
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