WHEEL of Fortune’s ratings during Pat Sajak’s final season as host fell considerably, with another CBS show outranking the series.
According to Nielsen’s viewing figures for the period between July 1 and July 21, Wheel of Fortune‘s rating dropped to 3.5, as Family Feud claimed its No. 2 spot on the rankings for syndicated programs.
Pat, 77, announced he was retiring as host of the long-running game show last year, with his final episode airing on June 7, 2024.
American Idol presenter Ryan Seacrest was named Pat’s replacement, with co-host Vanna White slated to remain with the show through 2026.
Wheel of Fortune fans reacted to the ratings drop on a Reddit forum dedicated to the series, with one person criticizing Family Feud as “the crassest show ever.”
The comment read, “WTH? Family Feud is the crassest show ever. I thought it had an audience of like 12 people.”
When another Redditor pointed out that Family Feud clips are incredibly popular, they replied, “I guess I am rather out of it. I had no idea that lots of people found it entertaining.
“The first clip I watched I thought it was mildly funny. But Steve Harvey’s schtick got old very fast.”
Steve, 67, has hosted Family Feud for 14 years.
The American comedian also hosts its spinoff Celebrity Family Feud, which airs in primetime during the summer.
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Other Reddit users offered their theories for why Wheel of Fortune had fallen behind Family Feud, which was virtually tied with Jeopardy! at the number one position.
“One thing to consider is that Feud can air up to I believe six or seven different times per day in a market and I’m pretty sure the ratings is an average of each broadcast,” one comment read.
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Jeopardy, they pointed out, “only airs once per day.”
“I wonder how much tournament fatigue is a factor?” another person suggested.
The ratings for July 1 until July 21 likely pertain to reruns of Wheel of Fortune, after Pat ended his run as host during the Season 41 finale episode on June 7, 2024.
According to market research firm Nielsen, more than 11 million people tuned in for Pat’s swan song before he retired from the game show that made him a household name in America.
Wheel of Fortune Host Timeline
Although Pat and Vanna have been a staple on the game show for decades, there have been other hosts
Chuck Woolery was the host from 1975 to 1981
He co-hosted alongside Susan Stafford (1975 to 1982)
Vanna White then stepped in as hostess in 1982 and has been ever since
After a contract and salary dispute, the show got rid of Chuck and brought in Pat in 1982
Pat hosted with Susan for one season
He then left the game show in 1989 to host a late-night talk show for CBS
For five months, NFL player Rolf Benirschke took his place
In July 1989, Bob Goen hosted the show on CBS
He hosted for a year and a half until the show was canceled in 1991
The show was then moved to ABC with Pat and Vanna hosting for the foreseeable future
In 2023, Pat announced his retirement and Ryan Seacrest as quickly named as his replacement
Ryan, 49, and Vanna, 67, recently gave Wheel of Fortune fans a sneak-peek of the revamped set, ahead of the show’s upcoming 42nd season in September.
Starring in a commercial for KTen Television’s 70th anniversary, Ryan and Vanna wished the TV station in a segment filmed on the Wheel of Fortune set.
The duo was standing in front of a blue screen with the show’s name on it.
The screen used to be brown, not blue, during Pat’s era at Wheel of Fortune.
GAME FACE
Ryan confirmed he had begun filming new episodes of Wheel of Fortune in an Instagram video last month.
In the clip, Ryan walks down a hallway in slow-motion, while wearing a suit and tie.
“Game face for the season premiere taping,” he captioned the post. “Let’s play Wheel of Fortune!”
Ryan said he was “truly humbled to be stepping into the footsteps of the legendary Pat Sajak” in a statement after Wheel of Fortune named him the new host.
Hen added that “it’s been a privilege and pure joy to watch Pat and Vanna on our television screens for an unprecedented 40 years, making us smile every night and feel right at home with them.”
Wheel of Fortune returns to TV screens this fall.
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