With the Season 14 launch on Friday, Jan. 7, charisma, individuality, nerve, and talent returned to RuPaul's Drag Race, which marked some new highs for the Emmy-winning franchise.
RuPaul's Drag Race received a 0.53 rating in the 18-49 demo, up 17 percent from the Season 13 premiere, thanks to a bevy of new queens entering the Werk-Room (0.45). The season premiere was the highest-rated season opener in the franchise since Season 10 in 2018. Drag Race saw a 73 percent rise in the 18-34 demo, jumping from 0.28 to 0.48 last year.
In addition to gaining in the demo, RuPaul's Drag Race also saw an increase in VH1 viewing, with 738,000 total viewers compared to 562,000 last year. Unlike last year's simulcast debut, the Season 14 premiere of Drag Race broadcast only on VH1. VH1 reports that Friday's premiere beat the previous season's average of 595,000 viewers. Season 14 also had the best premiere on share, with a 5.04 in the 18-34 demo and 2.63 in the 18-49 demo.
This season, 14 queens from throughout the country compete for the chance to win a $100,000 cash prize and the title of America's Next Drag Superstar. While the newcomers include queens from well-known drag families, Season 14 of RuPaul's Drag Race will also feature a few firsts, including the show's first straight participant and the first queen from Michigan. Alyssa Hunter, Angeria Paris VanMichaels, Bosco, Daya Betty, Deja Skye, Jasmine Kennedie, Jorgeous, June Jambalaya, Kerri Colby, Kornbread "TheSnack" Jeté, Lady Camden, Maddy Morphosis, Orion Story, and Willow Pill are the queens for this season.
The tell-all after-show RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked (0.48) was up in the 18-34 demo from the previous premiere following the Season 14 debut. In addition, the premiere had at least 413,000 social media engagements, making it the most social cable show on Friday, according to VH1. For three hours, the drag race trended worldwide in the top five on Twitter, peaking at #2 during airtime.
RuPaul's Drag Race is hosted by RuPaul and produced by World of Wonder Productions.
