The next season of the show premiered in September 2020, with a statement from the comedian apologizing for allegations of a hostile environment that plagued the show over the summer.
"I discovered that things happen here that could never have happened," DeGeneres said at the time on her talk show. "That is something I take really seriously. And I want to extend my sincere condolences to all that have been impacted."
According to the New York Times, "Ellen's" season 18 premiere received the best ratings of any season opener in the previous four years. The show, on the other hand, has averaged 1.5 million viewers over the last six months. In comparison, she averaged around 2.6 million viewers over the same time frame the previous season. Other daytime shows such as "Dr. Phil" (2.5 million) and "Live: With Kelly and Ryan" (1.5 million) outperform the broadcast (2.7 million).
According to the outlet, it actually ranks alongside shows like "Maury" (1.4 million viewers), "The Kelly Clarkson Show" (1.3 million), "Rachael Ray" (1.2 million), "Tamron Hall" (1.1 million), and "The Steve Wilkos Show" (1.1 million). Other daytime talk shows have seen ratings drop in the past year, but none as drastic as DeGeneres' 43 percent decrease. The decline in DeGeneres' viewership includes a 38 percent drop in women under the age of 54, her core demographic.
The show's ad sales have also suffered as a result of the downturn.
According to the New York Times, the show received $131 million from advertisers from September to January of the 2019-2020 season. This time around, "Ellen" has just made $105 million in the same time frame, a decline of around 20%.
Furthermore, according to the New York Times, DeGeneres' primetime game show "Ellen's Game of Games" has lost 32 percent of its ratings this season, including 35 percent in the advertiser-friendly adult demographic.
Representatives for Ellen DeGeneres, her show, and Warner Bros. have been contacted by Fox News.
"The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ remains one of the top three highest-rated syndicated talk shows this season.",David McGuire, an executive with Warner Bros. Telepictures, which produces the show, said in a statement to the New York Times. According to him, the drop in viewership may be due to reasons other than the show's scandal, such as fluctuations in tv ratings after the pandemic.
Employees privately recorded experiencing "racism, paranoia, and coercion" on set last summer, and DeGeneres herself was accused of rude acts.