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This year’s “Shark Week,” hosted by Jason Momoa, nabbed the Discovery event’s highest ratings in three years.
After last week’s Sunday premiere of “Shark Week” scored the highest-rated debut in three years with a viewership of 5.3 million across Discovery Channel, Discovery+ and Max, the full week brought in the highest ratings seen by the event in the same timeframe, averaging a 0.76 rating in the key cable demographic among adults 25-54 according to Nielsen live-plus-three-day figures.
As “Shark Week” content averaged 22 million total viewers across Discovery Channel, Discovery+ and Max, ratings for the week saw a 15% boost when compared to last year, marking the largest year-over-year increase in ten years. Additionally, all seven nights of “Shark Week” outperformed the previous year’s ratings for the first time.
The 35th anniversary of the celebration also ranked as the most-watched primetime cable network among both demographics, including men and women ages 25-54 and men and women ages 18-49. Among men 25-54 and men 18-49, “Shark Week” was the No. 2 primetime network on TV.
“‘Shark Week’ once again proved to be summer’s most anticipated programming event. After Sunday’s strong ratings performance, where all three premieres averaged over a one, we continued to win the week by telling powerful stories that captured attention and resonated with viewers – ‘Belly of the Beast: Feeding Frenzy,’ ‘Jaw vs. the Meg’ and ‘Cocaine Sharks’ stood out to as key wins,” Discovery Networks and TLC President Howard Lee said in a statement. “With the strength of the Warner Bros. Discovery portfolio behind us and our host, Jason Momoa, we kept our momentum going each night and attracted a big audience.”
The July 23 premiere, hosted by “Aquaman” star and conservationist Momoa, also scored an average rating of 1.13, according to Nielsen live-plus-three-day figures, marking a 9% increase from last year and the largest opening night growth in six years. Kicking off the night with “Belly of the Beast: Feeding Frenzy,” the Sunday telecast then aired “Jaws vs. The Meg” before closing out the evening with “Serial Killer: Red Sea Attacks.”
