Ryan Seacrest’s first episode on Wheel of Fortune boosted the ratings for the popular game show.
Ryan made his Wheel of Fortune debut this week when Season 42 kicked off.
All eyes were on Ryan for his big premiere – it certainly showed.
According to Deadline, Ryan’s presence accounted for a huge jump in TV ratings.
The outlet reports that the Wheel of Fortune Season 42 premiere averaged a 4.62 household rating in the overnight markets.
That’s quite a jump from Season 41’s 2.94 rating in 2023.
Wheel of Fortune ratings improved by 57 percent
Next week, Wheel watchers will learn of the detailed national ratings for the full week of Season 42 of Wheel of Fortune.
With Ryan at the helm, Wheel of Fortune increased its ratings by 57 percent for the syndicated series’ premiere across the 44 overnight markets in households.
Season 42 of Wheel of Fortune is up and running
Wheel of Fortune fans have been antsy for Season 42 to get underway.
Not only did the show debut its new host following Pat Sajak’s Season 41 retirement, but the Wheel of Fortune set has a new look.
As Monsters and Critics reported, viewers weren’t exactly impressed with the “awful” new set and backdrop, calling it a “migraine waiting to happen.”
Ahead of Ryan’s premiere on Wheel of Fortune, Wheel watchers were torn.
While some were confident that Ryan would do a good job filling Pat’s shoes, others felt he was the wrong man.
Now that Ryan’s first episode is under his belt, most Wheel watchers agree that Ryan did a fantastic job, looking very natural in his new role alongside Vanna White.
Ryan is busy hosting and promoting Season 42 of Wheel of Fortune
After settling in at Sony Pictures Studios, Ryan admitted he’s thoroughly enjoying his new gig.
Earlier this week, Ryan uploaded a photo of himself at the iconic wheel, smiling big for the promo shot.
In his accompanying caption, Ryan wrote, “If you’re having half as much fun watching as I am hosting, we’re in for an amazing season!”
Ryan and Vanna have been making their rounds since Season 42 kicked off, too.
The TV hosting duo recently stopped by Watch What Happens Live with host Andy Cohen.
Ryan shared a photo of himself and Vanna seated on Andy’s stage, and in the caption, he wrote, “Whether it’s a @wheeloffortune puzzle or Bravo trivia, we stay ready to play!”
Pat Sajak certainly became a TV legend during his time on Wheel of Fortune, but Ryan is ready to carry on the legacy without tarnishing what Pat and Vanna helped build together.
As Ryan recently revealed during an interview with Good Morning America’s Ginger Zee, he isn’t going to try and do anything differently and wants the show to live on the way viewers have come to know and love it.
“Don’t make any changes. Don’t touch it,” Ryan said. “This show works,” he added. “All I need to do is keep it moving.”