'Wheel of Fortune' Gets Big Ratings With New Host Ryan Seacrest

Ryan Seacrest's first week as host of Wheel of Fortune It attracted many curious viewers, who then stayed even after its debut episode.

Seacrest took over as host of the syndicated game show following Pat Sajak's retirement at the end of the 2023-24 season, after four decades at the helm. (Sajak will continue to host ABC's primetime Celebrity Wheel of Fortune (for the 2024-25 season.) The season premiere on September 9 drew 9.63 million viewers, according to Nielsen, the largest audience for a Wheel season opener since 2015 and shortly after the 11 million people who attended Sajak's last show.

The first week of shows averaged 8.31 million viewers, up 21 percent from the September 2023 premiere week. The four subsequent installments of the first season averaged just under 8 million viewers, still well above last year’s opening week of 6.87 million.

Household ratings (which remain a key indicator for syndicated programming) also increased 21 percent year over year, with all major demographics improving by 10 percent or more.

Sajak announced his retirement from the union Wheel ahead of the start of the 2023-24 season. Seacrest was hired a couple of weeks later, and co-host Vanna White later extended her contract through 2025-26.

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