Were Ratings Down for ‘Big Brother 23?’

CBS Members of The Cookout alliance on "Big Brother 23."

In 2020, some “Big Brother” fans were disappointed with season 22. Many people wanted to see all new players rather than returning all-stars and found the gameplay predictable.

In the summer of 2021, “Big Brother 23” attempted to deliver what fans had been asking for: a completely fresh cast, more diversity in the “Big Brother” house than ever before, and a teams twist designed to hopefully prevent a large alliance from forming early in the game.

“Big Brother 23” was indeed historic. The all-Black Cookout alliance managed to conceal themselves for the entire season, get to the final six together, and ensure the show got its first Black winner. The season also gave us Tiffany Mitchell, who might be the most widely respected “Big Brother” player since Derrick Levasseur of “Big Brother 16.”

But some fans still found the season predictable, since The Cookout’s allegiance to each other was so ironclad and they were so often in power. So did ratings go down this season? How do this season’s ratings compare to past seasons?

Here’s what you need to know.

‘Big Brother 23’ Ratings

According to Deadline, 3.47 million people tuned in to the “Big Brother 23” season finale. That means there was an approximately 13% decline in viewership from the season premiere on July 13, which 4.01 million people watched.

“Survivor,” which aired the hour before the “Big Brother 23” finale on the same network, pulled in 5.69 million viewers. Finale day ratings were also down from last year’s “Big Brother” finale, which 3.77 million people tuned in to.

How ‘Big Brother 23’ Ratings Compare to Other Past Seasons

It’s no surprise that “Big Brother” ratings have dropped since the early 2000s. With an abundance of entertainment options and streaming platforms, fewer people watch network television than they did when “Big Brother” first premiered in 2000.

Still, how do “Big Brother 23” ratings compare to past seasons? According to TV Series Finale, the average number of viewers per episode for “Big Brother 16” in 2014 was 6.39 million. “Big Brother 16” is considered one of the best “modern” seasons of “Big Brother.”

“Big Brother” viewership since season 16 shows an overall decline (all numbers from TV Series Finale):

Season 17 average number of viewers: 6.10 million
Season 18 average number of viewers: 5.45 million
Season 19 average number of viewers: 6.088 million
Season 20 average number of viewers: 5.43 million
Season 21 average number of viewers: 4.46 million
Season 22 average number of viewers: 3.38 million
Season 23 average number of viewers: 3.69 million

Will ‘Big Brother’ Be Renewed for Another Season?

So far, it seems that “Big Brother 24” is on as CBS is already accepting applicants. The network also announced that “Celebrity Big Brother” will return for a new season in February 2022 after being off the air since 2019. It seems that diehard “Big Brother” fans don’t have to worry about the show being canceled anytime soon.

The trusted “Big Brother” spoiler Twitter account @Spoilergirl1 has tweeted some names reportedly being considered for the cast of “Celebrity Big Brother 3.”

According to a tweet, “American Idol” runner-up Clay Aiken, reality television personality Tiffany Pollard, Bravo reality star Jax Taylor, and former White House staffer Kellyanne Conway’s names have all been thrown out there. Another tweet reports that “Survivor” alum Boston Rob’s name has also come up.

READ NEXT: Derek Frazier on Why It’s Time for ‘Big Brother’ to Update Its Competitions