VH1’s “Hit the Floor” made 1.7 million people hit the couch to catch the Season 3 premiere. An encore after the initial airing added another 800,000 total viewers overall across the evening.
The 9 p.m. debut received a 1.1 rating in the 18-49 demographic. In the younger — or at least smaller — 18-34 demo, the premiere was cable’s No. 1 non-sports program in its time period. The return also made noise on social media: “Hit the Floor” trended as the No. 2 topic in the 9 o’clock hour, per Nielsen SocialGuide.
Unfortunately those numbers are significantly down from Season 2’s Memorial Day 2014 premiere, which hauled in 2.4 million total viewers, 1.4 million from the key 18-49 demo. That season’s summer run averaged 1.4 million total viewers per episode.
The Season 3 opener picked up where the prior run’s finale left off, with the L.A. Devils having won the championship, and owner Oscar Kinkade being arrested for the murder of a Devil Girl.
Season 3 regulars include Dean Cain, Kimberly Elise, Taylour Paige, Logan Browning, Valery Ortiz, Katherine Bailess, Jonathan McDaniel, McKinley Freeman, Rob Riley, Adam Senn, Brent Antonello, Jodi Lyn O’Keefe and Don Stark.
Guest stars for the current run will include William Baldwin, Michael Beach, Jonathan Bennett, Andy Buckley, Francia Raisa, Kim Wayans, and the return of Lynn Whitfield.
“Hit the Floor,” was created by James LaRosa who also serves as executive producer of the series. Bryan Johnson and The Film Syndicate are also executive producing. VH1 executives Susan Levison, Maggie Malina and Jill Holmes are also earning executive producer credits.
Episode 302 will run Monday in its regular 10 p.m. time slot on VH1.