Vanderpump Rules‘ #Scandoval once again catapults the Sur crew to record ratings
The first episode of Vanderpump Rules' first reunion episode post-cheating scandal was the most-watched Bravo episode of any series in over nine years
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When the Vanderpump Rules gods unceremoniously slam the door on a relationship, they open a window to massive viewership, the likes of which were previously unheard of for the long-running Bravo reality series. The cheating scandal/disaster event/luck of the draw that has been #Scandoval has officially catapulted the series to record ratings, per Variety.
The season’s first reunion episode, which aired on May 24, was the most-watched Bravo episode of any series in over nine years, and the most-watched Vanderpump Rules episode ever. When Live + 3 Nielsen ratings, on-demand viewing and Peacock streaming were all accounted for, the episode drew in 4.6 million viewers. Meanwhile, the third installment of the three-episode reunion special charted the best first-day viewership on Peacock of any NBCU series on the streamer. So far, Vanderpump Rules’ tenth season has drawn in a massive 11.4 million average viewers to date.
Vanderpump Rules has been airing on the network since 2013, when it premiered as an offshoot of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills chronicling the lives of staff at Beverly Hills cast member Lisa Vanderpump’s restaurant, Sur. Sandoval has been a cast member since that first season, while Madix joined in season 2. The pair dated for nearly ten years, before it was revealed that Sandoval had been engaged in an illicit affair with Madix’s friend and fellow cast member Raquel Leviss. The raw freshness of the scandal—not to mention the dramatic oddities of the cast members themselves—has made for unbelievably engaging television, not to mention enormous engagement from the series’ loyal fanbase (and new viewers—like this writer—who couldn’t resist educating themselves).
This season, Vanderpump Rules’ reach has managed to reach beyond internet fandom and out to the rest of the world. Per Variety, Live + 3 Nielsen data for the demographic of adults 18-49 (one of Bravo’s most revered) shows that Vanderpump Rules is the most-watched cable series of 2023, and the fastest-growing unscripted series of the year across broadcast and cable. After all, who doesn’t love some televised mess?