#The Bachelorette ratings with Katie Thurston fall further; what’s happening?

We’re two episodes into The Bachelorette with Katie Thurston, and the ratings DO leave a lot to be desired.

Before we try to analyze why the viewing figures are so much lower this time around, we have to kick things off with the facts. Last night’s new episode drew just a 0.8 rating in the 18-49 demographic, which was down slightly from the premiere. Overall, though, this season is down 30% in the demo and more than 20% in total viewers from the most-recent Bachelorette season with Clare Crawley and Tayshia Adams. It’s also down equal measures from the most-recent season of The Bachelor with Matt James.

Have you watched our video review of last night’s The Bachelorette episode yet? If not, be sure to do so below! After checking that out, remember to subscribe to Matt & Jess on YouTube for more reviews throughout the season — we’ll be here to break down the drama and talk about the romance!

We know that there is a certain cluster of viewers out there who will try to claim that this drop is due solely to departure of longtime host Chris Harrison, but we don’t think the situation is anywhere near that simple. Could Chris’ exit be impacting ratings on some level? Sure, but so are a number of other things.

Katie’s name-recognition – As great of a lead as she’s been so far, she also didn’t make it close to the end on Matt’s season. Among casual fans, she’s probably not the biggest name out there.

Bachelor Nation burnout – This is the third season of the franchise since last fall, and that is a LOT to take in over a very short period of time.

Too much negativity – We don’t mean that in terms of just Katie’s season per se, but Matt’s season was really difficult to get through in its past several weeks. Tonally, The Bachelor / The Bachelorette may not be viewed as a fun escape anymore.

Natural viewer erosion – Controversies aside, it’s common for shows to lose at least 10-15% of their audience every single year. That has to be viewed as a factor here.

We’ll see if the ratings pick up at all through the rest of the season (preview what’s coming up next here), but for now, we understand why there could be some cause for concern.

What do you think is going on with The Bachelorette ratings so far this season?

Be sure to let us know in the comments! After you take a look at that, stick around to make sure you don’t miss any other updates. (Photo: ABC.)

This article was written by Jess Carter. Be sure to follow her on Twitter.