Big Brother 11 (U.S.) - Ratings and Reception

Ratings and Reception

The season premiere of Big Brother 11, which aired on CBS on July 9, attracted 6.68 million viewers, with a 2.3 rating in adults 18-49. The rating was the highest in its timeslot, with its nearest competition, a repeat of Bones on Fox bringing in 5.65 million viewers. The season premiere was even in adults 18-49 and adults 18-34 demographics, added 280,000 viewers and was up 5% in households when compared to the season premiere of Big Brother 10. Ratings for the show entered into a steady decline after the premiere, the following Sunday episode that was transmitted on July 12 was down .39 million viewers and pulled a 2.0 rating in the adults 18-49.Repeats of The Simpsons and King of the Hill on Fox won the adults 18-34 demographic but placed second in all other measures. The program hit a season low in adults 18-49 when the first eviction on Thursday, July 16 posted a 1.9 in adults 18-49. The Sunday, July 19 episode attracted 5.57 million viewers a season low in terms of viewership. Beginning with the Tuesday, July 21 episode viewership started to gradually increase with the episode attracting 5.76 million viewers and a 2.0 rating in the adults 18-49 demographic. The second eviction which featured Laura Crosby being evicted from the House attracted 6.39 million viewers and a 2.1 rating in adults 18-49 and a 4.0 rating with a 8 share in households. The second eviciton was up 8% in households, 11% in adults 18-49 and 14% in total viewers for the week at the time it was the second highest rated episode of the season behind the season premiere.

The following Sunday episode that aired on July 26 experienced a minor drop in ratings attracting 6.08 million viewers and a 2.0 rating in adults 18-49. The Sunday episode was up 5% in adults 18-49, 6% in households and added 510,000 viewers (up 9%) from the previous week. The episode highlighting the expulsion of Chima Simone was the highest rated episode in the adults 18-49 demographic with a 3.0 rating and the third highest in viewers and total households with 7.98 million viewers and a 4.8 respectively. The Sunday highlight episode fell to second place in its timeslot for the first time on August 9 when NBC Sunday Night Football began airing on NBC. By August 20 ratings for the season were up 5% in overall viewers when compared to Big Brother 10. For first time the Tuesday, September 8 highlight episode surpassed the 8 million viewer mark with 8.13 million viewers while following Sunday episode on September attracted 8.55 million viewers. The season finale dropped to 7.78 million viewers but was the second highest episode in the adults 18-49 demographic for the entire season. Overall Big Brother 11 was up 7% in total viewers (7.19 million) when compared to Big Brother 10, up 5% in adults 18-34, up 3% in adults 25-54 and even in adults 18-49. Big Brother 11 delivered 100 million page views and 15.3 million videos on CBS.com and various affiliated sites by the end of the season. The viewing public placed more than 24 million votes during the season including over 11 million votes for the seventh jury vote.