SWAT ratings: Nov. 27 suggests timeslot is a big problem

By Alexandria Ingham | Dec 2, 2019

"Sea Legs" - The SWAT team joins forces with the Los Angeles Organized Crime division to recover an officer abducted during a failed undercover operation. Also, Chris struggles with how to comfort the kidnapped officer's parents when she is restricted from giving them certain details of the investigation, on S.W.A.T., Wednesday, Nov. 27 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Pictured (L-R): Patrick St. Esprit as Commander Robert Hicks. Photo: Best Possible Screen Grab/CBS ©2019 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved. /

The live ratings for SWAT Season 3, Episode 9 are in. With the numbers ticking up on Nov. 27, it suggests the timeslot is a big issue for the series.

Very few networks opted for new episodes of their regular dramas on Wednesday, Nov. 27. That meant something great for CBS. SWAT saw a boost to both the demo and the total audience in the Live + Same Day ratings. It suggests that the timeslot is a huge problem for the show.

SWAT has lost almost 30% of both its demo and total audience from Season 2. While a dip is usual from season to season, this is a big dip. One that is extremely concerning for the show. And fans feared this would happen when the show moved from its post-comedy lineup slot on a Thursday to the post-SEAL Team slot on a Wednesday.

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It’s not that airing after SEAL Team is a bad thing. However, the Wednesday 10 p.m. timeslot is a difficult one. Chicago PD is one of the favored shows in that timeslot, with many fans of both shows admitting that they watch PD live and will record SWAT.

We just have to look at the average ratings compared to other CBS shows to see that there is a problem. In the 2018-2019 season, the show was 16th out of 26 shows. This season, it sits 19th out of 20 shows. It’s a timeslot problem.

The ratings for Nov. 27 suggest this is true. The demo ticked up by 40%. That’s right, 40% from the previous episode. And the biggest reason I can think that would happen is because Chicago PD wasn’t on. The total audience ticked up by 38%.

Both of these figures were season highs. In fact, they were much closer to the ratings that the show pulled in last season. Fans want to watch it, but they’re not changing their viewing patterns on Wednesdays to do that.

Hopefully, the DVR ratings are good. Hopefully, the ratings on CBS All Access for delayed viewings are good. CBS needs to consider these and all the facts together and realize that it’s not a show problem but a timeslot problem.

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What do you think the Nov. 27 ratings for SWAT show? Is it a timeslot problem for you? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

SWAT Season 3 airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on CBS.