‘The Bachelorette’ Ratings Are Lower Than In Past Years, Could Race Be The Reason?

The Bachelor and The Bachelorette have a huge built-in fanbase with Bachelor Nation. The following of the Mike Fleiss series has grown over the years and has been shown on the actual shows. There are viewing parties and fansites for each season as the one handing out roses is on a journey to find love. While the show isn’t known for a great success rate of long-term couples in lasting marriages, there is the handful that stayed together.

In looking at the Nielson Ratings on US Weekly, it is obvious that something is off. The premiere of The Bachelorette only had 5.7 million viewers, down from 6.6 million viewers for last season’s premiere.

This is the first season of The Bachelorette to have a black woman in the role. Rachel Lindsay is a fan-favorite, and Bachelor Nation was thrilled to learn that she would be the Bachelorette this season. The talk on social media among fans was about the diversity this would bring to the show. More races would surely be represented in the group of men vying for the heart of the lovely Rachel. The viewers that tuned in found a handsome and diverse group of men taking residence in the mansion.

In the most recent installment of the season to air on June 5, The Bachelorette had rebounded from a rough start and was at 6 million viewers according to TV By The Numbers. While this still isn’t as high as Bachelor Nation usually weighs in, Rachel Lindsay’s season is on the rise.

In looking at what could be the reason behind the drop in ratings for this season of The Bachelorette, there has been some speculation that racism could be playing a role. After all, the franchise has never had a black person cast in the lead role before. This was a bold and exciting move by Mike Fleiss and one that fans seemed to be totally behind. It sure doesn’t sound like there was any hesitation on the part of Bachelor Nation or production over the possibility of racism having a negative impact on the season.

The show had been accused of exercising a degree of racism in the past. Each season of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, fans saw a white person as the lead. The group of potential suitors would have a few faces of color, but nothing like the level of diversity of this season.

While speculation will continue and rumors will flow, racism just doesn’t seem like the problem here. Rachel Lindsay is a beautiful, intelligent, and strong woman that Bachelor Nation has fallen in love with. She stands firm in her beliefs, knows who she is and what she wants, and has her eyes wide open in dealing with the guys. The Bachelorette has the total package with Rachel.

There is a lot of the season still left for The Bachelorette. We have only had three episodes air and next week is pre-empted. The finale is set for August 7, so fans have plenty of time to get caught up on the hit show. Check out the first three episodes on ABC On Demand and set your DVRs to make sure you don’t miss a moment of the beautiful Rachel Lindsay’s journey this season on The Bachelorette. Having lower ratings sure won’t help Bachelor Nation see more diverse casting in the lead roles of future seasons.

Are you a Rachel Lindsay fan? Do you feel that racism has a role in the ratings so far this season on The Bachelorette? If you have missed the shows so far this season, was it because you have opted to sit this season out? Tell us what you think in the comments section below.

[Featured Image by ABC]