Buffy the Vampire Slayer (WB/UPN): Ratings Recap

'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' premiered on the WB March 10, 1997 with a 3.2/5 household rating/share and 4.59 million viewers - solid numbers based on the low-rated WB network was getting at the time. It sunk to as few as 2.47 million viewers in its short 12-episode first season, but rebounded up to 4 million by its finale. The show's ratings soared in its second season, averaging 5.7 million viewers and reaching well over 7 million (and over 3.0 in the 18-49 demo) for a slew of episodes in January 1998. The show's third season logged the highest average viewership of any season (6.1 million) despite some scheduling weirdness which pushed the high-rated season finale (6.53 million viewers; 3.1/10 A18-49) out to mid-July 1999. 'Buffy' remained remarkably stable for the next few seasons, pulling in over 5.2 million viewers on-average and holding at comfortably higher than a 2.0 demo rating. The show moved networks over to UPN where its sixth season premiere was reported to have logged the highest 18-49 rating (3.8/10) and second-best viewership (7.65 million) of its entire run, and viewership for the season as a whole actually averaged slightly higher than the previous 2 WB runs at 5.34 million. A seventh and final season premiered in 2002 with the fall portion holding at just around 5 million viewers, but unfortunately the 2003 portion fell into the 3-4 million range and below a 2.0 A18-49 rating and the show was not renewed. Note: HH data is provided for seasons 1-3 and switches to A18-49 in season 4.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (WB) Season 1 Ratings (1997)
Episode Date	Viewers (millions)	HH rating
Mar. 10, 1997	4.59	3.4/5
Mar. 17, 1997	4.63	3.2/5
Mar. 24, 1997	2.98	2.0/3
Mar. 31, 1997	4.09	2.8/4
Apr. 7, 1997	3.42	2.4/4
Apr. 14, 1997	3.39	2.3/4
Apr. 28, 1997	2.47	1.7/3
May 5, 1997	2.56	1.9/3
May 12, 1997	3.47	2.5/4
May 19, 1997	3.36	2.4/4
Jun. 2, 1997	3.97	2.8/5
Average	3.54	2.5

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (WB) Season 2 Ratings (1997-98)
Episode Date	Viewers (millions)	HH rating
Sept. 15, 1997	4.37	2.9/4
Sept. 22, 1997	4.42	3.2/5
Sept. 29, 1997	4.86	3.4/5
Oct. 6, 1997	4.70	3.2/5
Oct. 13, 1997	4.77	3.5/5
Oct. 27, 1997	5.88	3.7/6
Nov. 3, 1997	4.98	3.4/5
Nov. 10, 1997	5.59	3.7/6
Nov. 17, 1997	5.04	3.5/5
Nov. 24, 1997	5.41	3.5/5
Dec. 8, 1997	6.09	3.9/6
Jan. 12, 1998	6.48	4.1/6
Jan. 19, 1998	7.59	4.4/6
Jan. 20, 1998	7.94	5.2/8
Jan. 27, 1998	7.31	4.9/8
Feb. 10, 1998	6.77	4.5/7
Feb. 24, 1998	6.14	4.3/7
Mar. 3, 1998	6.08	4.1/6
Apr. 28, 1998	5.06	3.6/6
May 5, 1998	5.13	3.6/6
May 12, 1998	5.30	3.8/7
May 19, 1998	6.37	4.2/7
Average	5.74	3.8

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (WB) Season 3 Ratings (1998-99)
Episode Date	Viewers (millions)	HH rating
Sept. 29, 1998	7.06	4.7/8
Oct. 6, 1998	6.20	4.3/7
Oct. 13, 1998	5.46	3.9/6
Oct. 20, 1998	6.20	4.3/7
Nov. 3, 1998	6.53	4.3/7
Nov. 10, 1998	6.35	4.1/6
Nov. 17, 1998	6.46	4.4/7
Nov. 24, 1998	6.00	3.7/6
Dec. 8, 1998	6.32	4.2/7
Dec. 15, 1999	6.85	4.3/7
Jan. 12, 1999	6.42	4.2/7
Jan. 19, 1999	7.00	4.6/7
Jan. 26, 1999	5.93	4.1/6
Feb. 9, 1999	6.09	4.2/7
Feb. 16, 1999	5.93	4.1/6
Feb. 23, 1999	6.50	4.4/7
Mar. 16, 1999	5.94	4.1/7
Sept. 21, 1999	5.08	3.6/6
May 4, 1999	5.04	3.6/6
May 11, 1999	5.22	3.8/6
May 18, 1999	5.13	3.6/6
Jul. 13, 1999	6.53	4.4/8
Average	6.10	4.1

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (WB) Season 4 Ratings (1999-00)
Episode Date	Viewers (millions)	18-49 rating
Oct. 5, 1999	6.79	3.0/9
Oct. 12, 1999	5.64	2.7/8
Oct. 19, 1999	5.09	2.2/6
Oct. 26, 1999	5.98	2.5/7
Nov. 2, 1999	5.11	2.1/5
Nov. 9, 1999	6.51	2.7/7
Nov. 16, 1999	5.65	2.2/6
Nov. 23, 1999	5.90	2.5/7
Nov. 30, 1999	5.42	2.0/6
Dec. 14, 1999	5.97	2.4/7
Jan. 18, 2000	5.35	2.1/5
Jan. 25, 2000	6.02	2.4/6
Feb. 8, 2000	4.83	2.1/6
Feb. 15, 2000	4.85	2.0/5
Feb. 22, 2000	5.75	2.4/7
Feb. 29, 2000	4.90	1.9/5
Apr. 4, 2000	4.11	1.6/5
Apr. 25, 2000	3.85	1.9/5
May 2, 2000	4.02	1.8/5
May 9, 2000	4.55	2.1/6
May 16, 2000	4.85	2.1/6
May 23, 2000	4.50	2.1/6
Average	5.26	2.2

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (WB) Season 5 Ratings (2000-01)
Episode Date	Viewers (millions)	18-49 rating
Sept. 26, 2000	5.83	2.9/8
Oct. 3, 2000	6.17	2.8/8
Oct. 10, 2000	5.34	2.6/7
Oct. 17, 2000	5.10	2.5/7
Oct. 24, 2000	6.41	2.9/8
Nov. 7, 2000	6.19	3.0/7
Nov. 14, 2000	5.66	2.7/7
Nov. 21, 2000	4.83	2.2/6
Nov. 28, 2000	5.48	2.6/7
Dec. 19, 2000	4.85	2.2/6
Jan. 9, 2001	4.85	2.3/6
Jan. 23, 2001	5.01	2.3/6
Feb. 6, 2001	4.89	2.5/6
Feb. 13, 2001	4.90	2.4/6
Feb. 20, 2001	5.11	2.4/6
Feb. 27, 2001	5.97	2.8/7
Apr. 17, 2001	4.29	2.0/6
Apr. 24, 2001	4.73	2.3/7
May 1, 2001	4.59	2.3/7
May 8, 2001	5.11	2.7/8
May 15, 2001	4.76	2.4/7
May 22, 2001	5.22	2.6/8
Average	5.24	2.5

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (UPN) Season 6 Ratings (2001-02)
Episode Date	Viewers (millions)	18-49 rating
Oct. 2, 2001	7.65	3.8/10
Oct. 9, 2001	5.58	2.6/7
Oct. 16, 2001	6.03	2.8/8
Oct. 23, 2001	5.68	2.7/7
Oct. 30, 2001	5.23	2.4/6
Nov. 6, 2001	5.44	2.7/7
Nov. 13, 2001	5.40	2.6/7
Nov. 20, 2001	5.00	2.6/7
Nov. 27, 2001	5.57	2.5/6
Jan. 8, 2002	5.16	2.4/6
Jan. 29, 2002	5.57	2.5/6
Feb. 5, 2002	5.21	2.6/7
Feb. 12, 2002	5.01	2.5/6
Feb. 26, 2002	4.70	2.4/6
Mar. 5, 2002	5.61	2.6/7
Mar. 12, 2002	5.01	2.3/6
Apr. 30, 2002	4.53	2.3/7
May 7, 2002	4.06	2.2/6
May 14, 2002	4.96	2.4/7
May 21, 2002	5.31	2.6/7
Average	5.34	2.6

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (UPN) Season 7 Ratings (2002-03)
Episode Date	Viewers (millions)	18-49 rating
Sept. 24, 2002	4.99	2.3/6
Oct. 1, 2002	4.97	2.6/7
Oct. 8, 2002	4.90	2.4/7
Oct. 15, 2002	5.04	2.5/7
Oct. 22, 2002	5.02	2.6/7
Nov. 5, 2002	4.65	2.3/6
Nov. 12, 2002	4.83	2.3/6
Nov. 19, 2002	5.03	2.4/6
Nov. 26, 2002	4.83	2.5/7
Dec. 17, 2002	4.79	2.3/7
Jan. 7, 2003	4.08	2.2/6
Jan. 21, 2003	3.61	1.9/5
Feb. 4, 2003	3.50	1.8/5
Feb. 11, 2003	4.24	2.1/5
Feb. 18, 2003	3.43	1.7/4
Feb. 25, 2003	3.60	1.7/4
Mar. 25, 2003	3.44	1.7/4
Apr. 15, 2003	3.31	1.7/5
Apr. 29, 2003	3.60	1.8/5
May 6, 2003	4.02	2.1/6
May 13, 2003	4.06	2.4/7
May 20, 2003	4.87	2.5/7
Average	4.31	2.2

Source: Nielsen Media Research