American Horror Story (FX): Ratings Recap

FX's 'American Horror Story' premiered October 5, 2011 to a solid 1.6 A18-49 rating with 3.18 million viewers and held in the high-2 millions throughout its first season, ultimately averaging a 1.6 & 2.82 million viewers. Following a slight decline in its second season, the show's ratings peaked in its third where it logged a 2.2 rating & 4 million viewers. Its fourth season dipped a bit to a still-great 1.9 rating & 3.9 million viewers, but then lost a million viewers down to 2.9 million in its fifth and sixth seasons. Numbers declined pretty consistently for the next few seasons, and its most-recent 10th season pulled just a 0.23 rating & 652,000 viewers in fall 2021. FX has renewed the series through season 13.

Dirt (FX): Ratings Recap

FX's 'Dirt' premiered January 2, 2007 to a 1.8/5 adults 18-49 rating/share and 3.74 million viewers, ranking as one of the top cable shows of the week. It fell to 2.42 million viewers in week two, and was down to just 1.4 million by its 9th episode. The season finished up on a high note - back to 2.4 million due to a famous cameo, but the season as a whole averaged 1.96 million viewers. A short second season premiered in 2008 to 1.7 million viewers, but saw another downward trajectory, finishing just above 1 million viewers and averaging 1.37 million. It was cancelled after 2 seasons.

The Riches (FX): Ratings Recap

FX's 'The Riches' premiered March 12, 2007 to a strong 1.9/5 adults 18-49 rating/share and 3.84 million viewers - solid numbers for a cable premiere at the time. The show was unable to retain that audience though and tumbled to under 2 million viewers by its third episode and hovered around the 1.5 million viewer figure for the remainder of its first season. A short 7-episode second season aired in 2008 and bowed to 1.51 million viewers, on par with the previous season, but the numbers fell again and the season ultimately concluded with only 805,000 viewers. It was cancelled after two seasons.  

Nip/Tuck (FX): Ratings Recap

FX's 'Nip/Tuck' premiered July 22, 2003 to a 1.6 adults 18-49 rating with 3.7 million viewers and quickly established itself as the highest-rated new cable series among adults 18-49 averaging about 2.2 million (1.7 rating) and 3.24 million total viewers in its first season. A second season premiered in 2004 and built off that momentum, averaging a 2.0 18-49 rating and 3.76 million viewers, and the third season retained those numbers at 2.1 and 3.7 million viewers, concluding to a series-high 5.68 million viewers. Ratings began to slightly decline in the fourth season (2006) where it delivered 3.56 million viewers, and then fell even harder in the fifth season (2007-09) to 2.83 million viewers. A sixth and final season aired in 2009 & 2010 and the show ended its run with a modest 0.9 rating with 1.88 million viewers. 

Damages (FX): Ratings Recap

FX's 'Damages' premiered July 24, 2007 to a 0.9/3 adults 18-49 rating and 3.66 million viewers, and despite rising in the demo in its second week (to 1.0/3), it lost about 600K viewers to 2.93 million. It slowly continued losing viewers throughout its first season, falling as low as 1.16 million, but ended up averaging just under 2 million and was renewed for a second season. The second season premiered in January 2009 to a solid 1.72 million viewers, but fell nearly 1 million viewers in its first two weeks, down to 761,000 by week 3. From then on, it remained fairly stable the rest of the season, averaging about 956,000 viewers and a 0.3 in the demo. A third season premiered in January 2010 and pulled virtually identical numbers as the second season among viewership (down only slightly to 928,000), but lost a bit among adults 18-49 (0.2 in the demo). A fourth and fifth season of the show aired on DirecTV's Audience Network which is not rated by Nielsen.  

The League (FX/FXX): Ratings Recap

FX's 'The League' premiered October 29, 2009 to a 0.6 adults 18-49 rating with 994,000 viewers and its short first season averaged a strong 0.67 rating and 1.09 million viewers. The next two seasons, which aired in 2010 & 2011, both averaged just north of a million viewers and remained strong in the demo, each averaging a 0.65 rating. The fourth season (2012), dipped a bit, averaging a 0.52 with 820,000 viewers, but the fifth season (2013), tumbled hard, by nearly half, to 0.33 and 480,000. The show stabilized after that, pulling 432,000 viewers in its sixth season (2014) and 450,000 in its seventh (2015). It concluded to low fanfare in December 2015 with just a modest 0.27 rating and 456,000 viewers.   

Sons of Anarchy (FX): Ratings Recap

FX's 'Sons of Anarchy' premiered September 3, 2008 to a 1.2/3 adults 18-49 rating/share with 2.53 million viewers and remained very stable throughout its first season, averaging a 1.0 rating & 2.19 million viewers. A second season premiered in 2009 to nearly double the ratings (2.3/9) and viewership (4.29 million) of the previous season, and cemented its place as a hit cable series. The show had a slight setback in its third season (2010), losing a bit of momentum from the second season, but bounced back in the fourth season (2011) hitting its then-best numbers in both the demo (2.02 rating) and viewers (3.87 million). The upward trajectory among total viewers continued in each of the remaining seasons, up to 4.38 million in season five (2012), 4.6 million in season six (2013), and 4.65 million in season seven (2014). It hit a high of 3.39 in the demo & 6.39 million viewers in its series-finale. A total of 92 episodes aired over the course of its seven seasons.

Legit (FX/FXX): Ratings Recap

'Legit' premiered January 17, 2013 on FX to a 0.4 adults 18-49 rating with 650,000 viewers. The show found success in its first season, hitting a high 0.5 demo rating and 840,000 viewers and had about 75% of its viewers in the demo every episode of the season. The season as a whole averaged 467,000 18-49 viewers and 616,000 total viewers. For its second season in 2014, the show was moved to FX's sister net, FXX, but had disastrous results. It premiered to a then-series-low 0.15 rating with 256,000 viewers but slipped all the way down to 0.02 with 62,000 viewers by its season finale. It was not renewed for a third season. Note: ratings for the second season come directly from a source with access to Nielsen ratings and are not the network average.

The Shield (FX): Ratings Recap

FX's 'The Shield' premiered March 12, 2002 to a 2.4 A18-49 rating and 4.83 million viewers - great numbers for a cable drama at the time and on-par with what USA's 'Monk' delivered that year. The ratings declined down to a low of 1.1 & 2 million viewers, but finished strongly, up to 2.1 & 4.14 million and averaged a 1.67 & 3.2 million overall. The show saw some growth in its second season (2003), rising in both the demo (to 1.73) and viewers (3.3 million), but then declined in its third (2004) to 1.33 & 2.5 million. Surprisingly, the ratings rebounded in 2005's fourth season where it pulled over a 1.5 in the demo & was back up to 3.2 million viewers, but that was the last of the good ratings. The next three (and final) seasons each saw significant ratings decline: down to a 1.3 in 2006, a 1.0 in 2007, and a 0.8 in 2008. That final season also managed only 1.62 million viewers and the show concluded to 1.84 million.

Over There (FX): Ratings Recap

FX's 'Over There' premiered July 27, 2005 to a solid 1.8 adults 18-49 rating and 4.06 million viewers - good numbers for FX at the time, but it fell to about 2.5 million over its next few weeks. Had it been able to sustain that level then renewal may have been in the question; however, the ratings went in freefall towards the end of its run. It concluding to its lowest numbers ever: 0.7 in the demo & 1.34 million viewers, and was cancelled.

Louie (FX): Ratings Recap

FX's 'Louie' premiered on June 29, 2010 with a 0.57 adults 18-49 rating and 1.1 million viewers. It remained relatively stable throughout its first season, averaging a 0.4 rating and 784,000 viewers over 13 episodes. A second season premiered in 2011 to a series-high 0.8 rating with 1.57 million viewers, but dropped over a million viewers by its season finale (573,000), averaging 937,000 viewers over the course of the season. The third season premiered in 2012 averaging a 0.4 rating and 797,000 viewers, and the fourth season premiered in 2014 averaging a 0.33 rating and 634,000 viewers with double episodes airing over the course of seven weeks. A short 8-episode fifth season aired in 2015 hitting a series-low 0.17 rating with 333,000 viewers in its fifth episode, and ultimately only averaging a 0.22 rating and 476,000 viewers. A sixth season is currently still in limbo.  

Snowfall (FX): Ratings Recap

FX's 'Snowfall' premiered July 5, 2017 to a 0.58 adults 18-49 rating and 1.36 million viewers, which remains its series-high in both demographics. The first season concluded to a 0.39 rating with 854,000 viewers and averaged 966,000 viewers over its 10 episodes. A second season premiered in 2018 and averaged a 0.38 rating with 891,000 viewers, and a third season aired in 2019, on par with its second season (0.36 rating and 880,000 viewers). A fourth season is scheduled to premiere in 2021.

American Crime Story (FX): Ratings Recap

FX's 'American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson' premiered February 2, 2016 to a 1.96 adults 18-49 rating with over 5.11 million viewers, never fell below a 1.0 rating and averaged a 1.33 rating with 3.29 million viewers over 10 episodes. A second season, titled 'The Assassination of Gianni Versace' premiered in 2018 to a 0.72 rating with 2.22 million viewers, and averaged only a 0.37 rating with 1.22 million viewers over 9 episodes, an almost 1 point ratings drop and a loss of over 2 million viewers from the previous season. A third season of the show is expected to premiere in 2020. 

The Americans (FX): Ratings Recap

Updated: FX's 'The Americans' premiered in 2013 to a 1.2 adults 18-49 rating with 3.22 million viewers. It dropped to a 0.6 rating with 1.74 million viewers by its inaugural season finale, and averaged 1.79 million viewers. A second season premiered in 2014 averaging 1.34 million viewers, a third season premiered in 2015 averaging 1.08 million viewers, a fourth season premiered in 2016 averaging 909,000 viewers, and a fifth season premiered in 2017 averaging 758,000 viewers. A sixth and final season premiered in 2018 to a 0.14 rating with 642,000 viewers, but never reached over 1 million viewers in the course of its 10-episode run. The series concluded to a 0.22 rating with 922,000 viewers.

Better Things (FX): Ratings Recap

UPDATED 2020: FX's 'Better Things' premiered September 8, 2016 to a 0.31 adults 18-49 rating with 671,000 viewers, and concluded its to a 0.24 rating and 547,000 viewers, averaging 0.2 & 474,000 over its first 10 episodes. A second season premiered in 2017 to a 0.17 rating with 528,000 viewers, and dropped a half point on average, to a 0.15 rating, but lost only a bit in viewership, to 459,000. A third season premiered in 2019 and initially appeared to be stable with the first tow seasons, as the premiere episode brought in 0.19 with 450,000 viewers; however, the ratings tumbled and its 12 episodes averaged 0.12 & 334,000. A fourth season premiered in 2020 and dropped even lower, shedding a hundredth in the demo, to 0.11, and falling below 300K viewers (294,000). It was renewed for a fifth season.

The Strain (FX): Ratings Recap

FX's 'The Strain' premiered in 2014 to a 1.18 adults 18-49 rating with almost 3 million viewers. It lost around 900,000 viewers over the course of its inaugural season, concluding to a 0.07 rating with 2.09 million viewers, and averaging 2.21 million viewers. A second season premiered in 2015 and averaged a 0.59 rating with 1.34 million viewers, and a third season premiered in 2016 and averaged a 0.42 rating with 961,000 viewers. A fourth and final season premiered in 2017 and averaged a 0.37 rating with 985,000 viewers, with 995,000 viewers tuning in for the show's final episode.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX/FXX): Ratings Recap

UPDATED 2020: 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' premiered August 4, 2005 on FX to 1.42 million viewers. It fell to 840,000 viewers in its second episode and averaged 1.14 million viewers over its 7-episode first season. The second season premiered in 2006 to 1.6 million viewers, averaging 1.24 million viewers over 10 episodes, and the third season premiered in 2007, averaging 1.28 million viewers over 15 episodes. Viewership growth continued in seasons four and five (in 2008 and 2009), averaging 1.32 million and 1.79 million viewers respectively; however, ticked down to 1.5 million in its sixth season (2010). Between 2011 and 2013, the series lost two-thirds of its audience, going from 1.61 million viewers in its seventh season, to 1.07 million in its eighth, and finally to 531,000 in its ninth. The reason for the decline between seasons eight and nine can be attributed to it being moved from FX to FXX. Since its first season on FX, it has actually seen moderate growth, rising to 538,000 in 2015, 540,000 in 2016, and 601,000 in 2017. This trend stopped in the 13th season (2018) which averaged only 366,000 viewers, and was even lower in the 14th season (2019) at 299,000. Nevertheless, it was renewed for a 15th season.

Feud (FX): Ratings Recap

UPDATED 2020: FX's 'Feud' premiered March 5, 2017 to a 0.52 adults 18-49 rating with 2.26 million viewers, but fell by almost half in week 2, to a 0.3 rating with 1.32 million viewers. It held above 1 million viewers each episode of its first season, and concluded to a 0.3 rating with 1.3 million viewers. The first season averaged a 0.34 rating and 1.36 million viewers. It was renewed for a second season though it is not in production as of 2020.

Taboo (FX): Ratings Recap

FX's 'Taboo' premiered January 10, 2017 to a 0.63 adults 18-49 rating with 1.84 million viewers. It held above 1 million viewers for every episode of its 8-episode inaugural season, concluding to a 0.38 rating with 1.02 million viewers and averaging a 0.43 rating with 1.19 million viewers. It was renewed for a second season.

Fargo (FX): Ratings Recap

UPDATED 2020: FX's 'Fargo' premiered in 2014 to a 0.8 adults 18-49 rating and 2.65 million viewers, never dropping below 1.5 million viewers in its first season, and concluding to a 0.61 rating with 1.98 million viewers. A second season premiered in 2015 to a 0.48 rating with 1.59 million viewers, dropped to 962,000 viewers in week 2, and concluded to 1.82 million viewers. After a long break, a third season premiered in 2017 to a 0.40 rating with 1.42 million viewers, and averaged 1.13 million viewers. It was renewed for a fourth season to air in 2020, but was delayed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.