“Big Brother” returned to CBS Thursday with its biggest audience in five years.
The Season 28 premiere averaged 3.9 million viewers, making it the series’ largest first-run audience since Season 23’s 4.3 million viewers in July 2021. That total also represents a 22% increase from last year’s Season 27 premiere, which drew just under 3.2 million viewers, as measured by Nielsen. The premiere’s success boded well for the season overall, with its tally also up 21% compared to Season 27’s Thursday night average of 3.2 million viewers.
Citing social content ratings, CBS reports that Season 28 achieved 8.1 million views, up 32,449% from last year, and 866,000 interactions, up 48%. This marks the show’s most engagement and views on social media since 2020.
In the season 28 premiere, “Big Brother” added a twist called “Time Travel,” which brought a previously unannounced reality star into the competition in addition to the original houseguests. New additions include Angela Murray (Big Brother Season 26), Rick Devons (Survivor Seasons 38 and 50), and Rachel Riley (Big Brother Seasons 12, 13, and 27). Riley was eliminated during the episode and replaced by Dee Validares (Survivor seasons 45 and 50).
“Big Brother” is hosted by Julie Chen Moonves and airs Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. The aftershow, Big Brother: Unlocked, will premiere the day after the Season 28 premiere, with five more episodes scheduled to air throughout the season.
The series was created by John De Mol, produced by Fly on the Wall Entertainment in association with Endemol Shine North America, and executive produced by Alison Grodner and Rich Meehan.
