ABC’s ‘High Potential’ Achieves High Ratings with Kaitlin Olson in the Lead

The new procedural drama, High Potential, starring Kaitlin Olson, is performing exceptionally well in its first season, drawing substantial viewership across multiple platforms. According to viewership data, the show’s initial episodes are resonating with audiences, with the numbers showcasing significant growth in delayed and streaming viewership.

In its initial episodes, High Potential has managed to average over 10 million viewers across all platforms within the first week of its release. The episode aired on September 24 saw its live viewership of 3.67 million swell to 10.72 million when including a week of streaming and DVR viewing, a near threefold increase. The series has also demonstrated a strong presence in the coveted 18-49 age demographic. Initially, the episode recorded a rating of 0.31, which is equivalent to approximately 435,000 viewers in this age group. This figure expanded to a rating of 2.2, equivalent to around 3.09 million viewers after including a week’s streaming and DVR numbers.

Nielsen‘s delayed-viewing metrics, which exclude streaming, reported that the September 24 episode reached 6.76 million viewers and held a 0.61 rating in the adults 18-49 demographic. This data indicates that nearly 4 million viewers streamed the show on platforms such as Hulu and Disney+, constituting approximately 37 percent of the total cross-platform audience. It is noteworthy that more than 70 percent of the show’s viewers in the 18-49 demographic engaged with the show through streaming services.

The show’s performance trajectory continued positively with its second episode building upon the success of the series premiere. The premiere episode initially captured an audience of 9.75 million viewers and garnered a 2.12 rating across platforms over a week. ABC, however, previously reported an audience figure of 11.5 million for the debut from three days of viewing, a figure which included nearly 4 million viewers from two reruns. With an additional week of viewings taken into account, the series premiere has reached a total of 17.79 million viewers.

These impressive cross-platform figures underscore a larger trend in television viewership, where a scripted network program’s initial on-air performance typically represents less than half of its total audience by the end of the week. Streaming services, followed by DVR playback, generally account for the majority of the audience thereafter.