Stargate Universe is holding its own against baseball playoffs and big-network shows, helping to give Syfy Channel its best October ever, the network announced. Despite ratings slipping a bit from the 1.8 season high rating (for “Air, Part 3”), the show continues to draw more than 2 million viewers on Friday night and is seeing a significant lift in the first “Live + 7 Days” DVR-delayed ratings.
The first season of SGU is averaging a 2.1 average household rating and 2.85 million total viewers, the network said in an October 27 press release. This includes full “Live + 7 Days” viewing data, though Syfy would probably have only had access to that data for about the first two weeks of the show (three of the six hours broadcast so far).
Nielsen Media Research releases full DVR ratings numbers to the networks approximately three weeks after broadcast.
In the key demographics, Syfy said that Universe is averaging 1.5 million adults ages 18 to 49, and 1.7 million ages 25 to 54.
The time-shifted viewing data for Stargate Universe is clearly significant, with 2.99 million viewers and a 2.1 rating for “Air, Part 3” — up from the 1.8 rating (2.4 million) on Friday night. That’s the most-watched episode of a Stargate show since March 2005 (“The Siege, Part 1”), Syfy said.
Compared to the last season of Stargate Atlantis, SGU is up 59 percent among adults 18 to 34, 41 percent among adults 18 to 49, 33 percent among adults 25 54, and up 36 percent in total viewers, the network said.
Along with the 2.1 average rating for Ghost Hunters, the 1.7 average for Destination Truth, and the 1.8 rating earned by the season premiere of Sanctuary, Syfy is looking at its most watched October ever.
While we don’t have official ratings numbers for the last three episodes, on Twitter actor Brian J. Smith mentioned a 1.6 rating for “Darkness” — which aired against an MLB playoff game on October 16. TV by the Numbers reports viewership of 2.099 million viewers (“Live + Same Day”) for that one, and 2.015 million for October 23 (“Light”).
Universe is the network’s second-highest rated show behind Ghost Hunters (about 3 million viewers before DVR).
Brand new episodes of Stargate Universe continue this Friday at 9 p.m. (8 Central)! Learn more about this week’s episode, “Earth,” in GateWorld’s Season One episode guide.
(Thanks to Morjana for contributing!)
Thats good but… Maybe if they would get rid of the useless sex scenes that are so useless and are there only for the point of showing sex then they could easily have higher ratings… Surprisingly, I only know a few people who liked Stargate to begin with but they are about fed up with this sex stuff. I can live with everything else but…there is just no need for these sex scenes. Affection can easily be shown w/out sex. I truly feel that ratings are going to really drop if this franchise continues to show so much sex. I… Read more »
Congratulations again SGU! Well done!
I must respectfully disagree with nkilbourn. SG:U is not a Saturday morning cartoon. SG:U is depicting realistic relationships between humans in a seriously stressful situation — a daily struggle to survive. Men and women thrown together in such a situation are going to seek solace in one another, and that’s going to lead to sex. SG:U is not SG-1, nor is it Atlantis. It is its own show. Some folks are going to like it, and some folks won’t. I think the ratings speak for themselves: SG:U is off to a good start, and I sincerely hope the writers continue… Read more »
I agree with geekman – this is not a show for young children. I also find it interesting that many have so much trouble with the sex but seem to be fine with the violence. I have heard some saying that they could watch SG1 and SGA with their kids because there was no “sex” scenes, but what about the violence. Jaffa being shot, torture, Wraith feeding .. etc.. I find it interesting that its OK for kids to see the violence but not the sex?? Just my opinion
@nkilbourn
Just rewatch an SG-1 (or Atlantis) episode every Friday with your kids and by the time you’re done with all of them your kids will be old enough to watch SGU! ;)
I think this show is for young children.
@nkilbourn
“Stop acting like a child. PLEASE!”
We had one sex scene. Another was IMPLIED in “Light” and we had kissing in “Water” OOOOOOOOOO.. OH MAN! Look out! Sooo scandelous. I mean, NO ONE does that!
I’m socially Conservative and this seriously doesn’t bother me. 1 minute out of 270 aired minutes so far.
It is so funny to see people constantly bitching about “all those gratuitous sex scenes” when there was only one that was maybe 6 seconds.
I agree with nkilbourn the sex scenes are unnecessary and don’t need to be there. If they want to let people know that there is going to be an intimate act between to people then show them kiss, close the door and then move on to the next scene. I think we’ll get the hint. btw when are we going to get a villain?
Listen, you are either going to like the show or not like it. Don’t rip it apart just becuase they added some real human emotion. It will either work or not. Time will tell. I’m not quite sure what to think of the show so far. Some things bother me also. I don’t like the fact that they say the ship might be the greatest find (whatever). I would think that Atlantis was a bigger find. I wish they would pay more attention to the history of the franchise. We out here have memories. We loved Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis.… Read more »
Seriously people if you don’t like just switch to another channel for 30 or 60 seconds, it’s what I did and it worked just fine… ;)
Good! Any good news about SGU is GREAT NEWS, no matter what you think about the show! Because it brings us that much closer to getting both new SG1 and SGA movies!
Too bad they don’t count the 20+ milion viewers who watch the movie from torrents an others sources…
They not counting it because channel doesn’t give a frak about non-Live audience. They still interested more or less in DVR-delayed numbers. Of course legal iTunes and “illegal” BitTorrents also will bring some several millions of viewers around the globe. SyFy just focused on numbers, that helps them continue current business-model, which is based on advertising. Simple as that.
Glad to see SGU keeping it’s viewers. But present ratings [2.1] is not as great as some of us expected. Universe can do better and hopefully will do.
Could it be that Syfy has lost viewers ?
Looks like other networks are making better SicFi Shows.
I read somewhere that they had an 18% drop in ratings for the first 3 or 4 episodes and I see its still dropping. They can find ways of making it seem like its doing real good but come on as much money as they poured into this show they have to be disappointed because its not getting the ratings they wanted.
What people are begining to realise just as I did is its not Stargate to us and its not a family show anymore.
Joe Mallozzi on critiquing the show (a highly recommended read): link
For me the behind-the-scene video is better then the episode itself lol.
@Lenonn cheers for the link.
“Unlike the more kid-friendly SG-1 and Atlantis with its wholesale slaughters of enemy combatants, tortures, stabbings, and occasional live burnings, Universe will touch on the heinous topic of physically intimacy”
Loved that part.
Attacking the actors is uncalled for. That said, Mallozzi really should grow a thicker skin. He needs to stop catering to those he calls immature and idiotic by continuing to bait and respond to them. He’s also a huge hypocrite. He’s trolled quite a bit in the past and so have many of his supporters. I roll my eyes every time he gets on his high horse.
@nkilbourn
Someone needs a thicker skin… If you want “kid friendly” rewatch SG1 and Atlantis. You know, the episodes with death, torture and burning at the stake.
Perhaps its more disturbing people are upset over sex, and less so over violence.
BTW for those still hoping SGU fails, it won’t. The ratings are speaking volumes. If anyone doesn’t think these are good ratings, you have no clue.
LOL at leanbarton
SGA s01e01 – Rating 3.2 // SGU s01e01 – Rating 1.7
SGA s01e02 – Rating 3.2 // SGU s01e02 – Rating 1.7
SGA s01e03 – Rating 2.5 // SGU s01e03 – Rating 1.8
SGA s01e04 – Rating 2.5 // SGU s01e04 – Rating 1.6
Oh and SGU cost twice as much as SGA.
I’ve quit watching this series. Gave it a couple of weeks and all I see is a copy of BSG. That’s not what I want to watch. Been there done that…boring!!!
Thanks for the rating comparisons Outbreaker. Those speak for themselves. As I’ve said before, this series no longer get my attention because it is a clone of BSG. Why watch another version of that story line when it was very well done already.
@elfstar
Then you obviously aren’t looking, coz BSG is definitely different than SGU.
Interesting Read : link
Just curious those comparing SGU to BSG, you have watched BSG right?
@leanbarton:
Though in SG-1/Atlantis, most of the “violence” was in wars against things that were really, really evil, even genetically so (e.g. Goa’uld), or committed by them, and that done by the evil forces was not considered to be OK.
However in SGU, I was “upset” by *both* the sex scenes and much of the violence shown. Didn’t like the latter because there’s no pathologically evil or nasty thing involved just another person disagreeing on something. Doesn’t seem like a good way to resolve disputes. Didn’t like the former for reasons similar to those already voiced before.
@Outbreaker.
You do know that the premiere of SGA was before you could watch Stargate ANYWHERE else except for live AND before tivo/dvr.
Back then, you HAD to watch it live, or you didn’t see the show.
Now, you can watch it Live, on iTunes, Amazon, Hulu, Tivo it, torrent it.
There are SOOOOOO MANY FANS that do this. I have no doubt the “live rating” is only a fraction of the people that watch the show.
@mike3 so things like Vala being burned alive in season 9 or Col Sumner literally getting the life sucked out of him is fine? (Is okay for us but it goes against comments of people saying that SG-1/Atlantis was a family show).
you know what make me laugh, there use the same and +7 day rating here, but they don’t with atlantis, as it was getting with them 1.8-1.9, and look at the rating drop, 2.35M-2.4M down to 2.015M by epiosde 5, even with 300-400K add for the other stuff it still down alot and like people already said the cost of SGU is hell alot more than atlantis.
To be fair that fact that this was Halloween weekend could have had an impact on the ratings.
I do think that Stargate Universe is a good show, But I do have a slight problem with the sex scenes, they are not necessary for telling the overall story, and personally, they make the characters seem like horny whores. As for the violence, I think when a family watches this show with their kids, they understand that the violence is part of the character who is acting it like the torchure and the shooting, and the Wraith feeding, These are actions that kids already expect from characters like the Goa’uld, Jaffa, Wraith and the Ori followers, but watching two… Read more »
Mallozzi really does need to get off his high horse LOL. Quote “STOP MAKING IDIOT COMMENTS” It sounds to me like they can’t stand someone telling them exactly what they think of thier new show. He also thinks that we should just watch the show be happy with it because we are in for the “looong haul” well not me and judging from the ratings not for alot of others either. Quote “Also realize – if it hasn’t become apparent by now – that we love our cast and are very protective of them.” Hum what about SGA cast after… Read more »
He is deletes all post that are negative thats funny :D
Lets see how long it takes till someone flood his blog full whit negative posts ^_^
@Buddybear
SGA is ok same episodes are boring but i love the episodes where SG1 is also playing a roll like this they could boots the show SGA a look :)
@Buddybear you do realise that fan wise that are currently more people for SGU than against it (There are watching SGU than there were the last 2 seasons of Atlantis).
Is funny how everyone is comparing SGU to SGA’s first season but if SGA was so much better than why did its ratings get so low later on.
edit: meant to put “more people” after “(There are”.
@Scott Watson
Wrong i know 7 people that love SG1 and hate SGU and im the only one that writes that i dont like it.
It’s like MAC vs Windows you find more people that write i love MAC then people that write i hate MAC.
As a long-time massive fan of Stargate I don’t like SG:U much at all. It’s just a cheap BSG clone, copying their format of making the Sci-fi just a background for silly “drama” scenes.
The show has lost the plot-driven approach which made Stargate such an amazing format.
@Scott Watson you do realize that in the last couple of seasons they where already spinning SGU to MGM and putting SGA on the backburner. If they really cared about SGA why did they not put as much energy into that show and as much money and make it stronger instead they where phasing out SGA and already dismissing the fans more or less not caring what the fans of SGA thought. I for one think that with all the extra money they put into this show they could have kept both shows going and kept the fan base intact… Read more »
@Outbreaker
Oh, I was unaware you worked in TV and had a thorough understanding of ratings. Send me an email so I school you.
@Buddybear: If what you are saying that the latest episode got a 1.9 initial rating then that’s an increase. Air Part 3 that had the highest rating until now had 1.8 initially. The first 3 episode finally got 2.1 in average, when all numbers were counted. So like I said, if your 1.9 is correct then SGU is doing well indeed, that would once again mean an increase in audience. We will see in a couple of weeks what the final ratings number will be for episodes 4-6
* I meant to say “If what you are saying is correct”
@Nikst you are using two different numbers. Th 1.9 for Water is 1.9 million total viewers for Live + same day, which is what advertisers use to pay for time. Air Part 3 had a 1.8 HH rating. (depending on which figures you use, Water had either a 1.3 or 1.5 HH rating).
Water was the first episode so far to drop below 2 million total viewers for Live + same day. Off approx %16 – %18 from the series high.
But that is not bad. Not terrific, but not bad.
forgot to add: as they used to say in old westerns, “mallozzi speaks with forked tounge”. Where was his “Protection” (actually, this time it sounds more like the Mob, Mallozzi IS italian, isn’t it?) for Tori H, and the rest of the cast for Atlantis??
@US06154: Actually I have searched reviews on SGU and guess what? They’re not all bad. Look at IGNs reviews for example. So just stop spreading the word that everybody but the writers dislikes SGU, because that’s simply a LIE
The funny thing is that the numbers for live are practically the same as SGA. The live plus rating didnt exist in season 4 & 5 of SGA but I know from personal experience people were watching that way. Also, the article implies that beating baseball is some phenomenal achievement. Last year there was discussion of removing World Series coverage from the big networks because it was a ratings catastrophe. Maybe this year is an improvement, not sure what the followings of the two teams are, but heralding a ratings coup is entirely premature. I too read the Mallozzi statement:… Read more »
If Mallozzi cares about the actors then why did he make several digs at Flanigan on his blog?