Those concerned by The Americans' steep ratings drop in its second episode should find some confidence in the series' latest DVR returns.
Live+Three Day ratings for the FX drama have the series jumping 58 percent in both total viewers (1.15 million) and adults 18-49 (622,000), bringing its totals to a respective 3.11 million 1.69 million. And though the new haul is still eclipsed by the series premiere (4.63 million after Live+Three Day), it's also an almost unprecedented percentage leap after just three days of time shifted-viewing.
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For some perspective, current season-to-date averages for any broadcast series don't even reach 58 percent growth in Live+Seven Day ratings, let alone Live+Three. The season's top audience grower, Fox's New Girl, jumps 56 percent (an extra 2.4 million viewers). Among the targeted demo, percentage growth is much more generous. Data through Jan. 27 still has Grimm getting the most sizable boost with 81 percent.
Another midseason series to swell in DVR growth is The Following. After promising Same Day and Live+Three ratings, the Fox drama saw its first Live+Seven figures reported earlier this week. The Following leaped almost two ratings points in the key demo between its premiere (3.2 adults rating) and its Live+Seven (5.1 adults rating) -- a 59 percent boost that puts it in the same territory as Revolution, the season's de facto broadcast hit.
Among total viewers, The Following premiere bests all broadcast season averages in raw growth. It jumped from 10.4 to 15.1 million viewers in Live+Seven, an improvement of 45 percent. And with streaming and encores, Fox estimates the premiere has actually reached 20.3 million viewers.
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Other midseason scripted entries (NBC's Deception and 1600 Penn) have posted modest growth, each averaging half of a point's improvement in the latest Live+Seven data. New unscripted outings have not fared as well. ABC's premiere of The Taste improved just 10 percent (a 2.1 to a 2.3 adults rating), low DVR growth even by reality standards.
And what of returning series -- most notably, NBC's Smash? The Live+Seven returns are likely something NBC is anxiously awaiting, and the first DVR ratings are fairly optimistic. Though it only grew to a 1.7 rating with adults 18-49 in Live+Three, it marks a handsome 50 percent jump for the lackluster season premiere. Last year Smash only averaged a 37 percent increase over three days of time-shifted viewing. It would still need to jump nearly 110 percent in Live+Seven just to match last season's Same Day returns.
