Gladiators Ratings: 3 Years and counting, where do we stand?
So, before we get into it. Allow me to set the scene with an abhorently large list:
Series 1 (2024):
1x01 'Heat 1':
Aired January 13th, 2024
8.37 Million Viewers (+7 Day Figure)
7-Day Rank: 1st Place In week of broadcast.
9.86 Million (+28 days)
28-Day Rank: 1st Place
1x02 'Heat 2':
Aired January 20th, 2024
7.32 Million (+7 days)
7-Day Rank: 1st Place
8.24 Million (+28 days)
28-Day Rank: 4th Place
1x03 'Heat 3':
Aired January 27th, 2024
6.63 Million (+7 days)
7-Day Rank: 5th Place
7.60 Million (+28 days)
28-Day Rank: 6th Place
1x04 'Heat 4':
Aired February 3rd, 2024
6.82 Million (+7 days)
7-Day Rank: 3rd Place
7.35 Million (+28 days)
28-Day Rank: 5th Place
1x05 'Heat 5':
Aired February 10th, 2024
5.94 Million (+7 days)
7-Day Rank: 9th Place
6.59 Million (+28 days)
28-Day Rank: 8th Place
1x06 'Quarter-Final 1':
Aired February 17th, 2024
6.05 Million (+7 days)
7-Day Rank: 7th Place
6.50 Million (+28 days)
28-Day Rank: 7th Place
1x07 'Quarter-Final 2':
Aired February 24th, 2024
5.65 Million (+7 days)
7-Day Rank: 6th Place
6.34 Million (+28 days)
28-Day Rank: 6th Place
1x08 'Quarter-Final 3':
Aired March 2nd, 2024
5.41 Million (+7 days)
7-Day Rank: 5th Place
5.88 Million (+28 days)
28-Day Rank: 5th Place
1x09 'Semi-Final 1':
Aired March 9th, 2024
4.67 Million (+7 days)
7-Day Rank: 6th Place
5.38 Million (+28 days)
28-Day Rank: 8th Place
1x10 'Semi-Final 2':
Aired March 23rd, 2024
5.41 Million (+7 days)
7-Day Rank: 4th Place
5.66 Million (+28 days)
28-Day Rank: 4th Place
1x11 'The Grand Final':
Aired March 30th, 2024
5.54 Million (+7 days)
7-Day Rank: 4th Place
6.00 Million (+28 days)
28-Day Rank: 5th Place
2025 'New Years Day' Special:
Aired January 1st, 2025
6.04 Million (+7 days)
7-Day Rank: 9th Place
6.48 Million (+28 days)
28-Day Rank: 13th Place
Series 2 (2025):
2x01 'Heat 1':
Aired January 18th, 2025
5.38 Million (+7 days)
7-Day Rank: 8th Place
6.29 Million (+28 days)
28-Day Rank: 8th Place
2x02 'Heat 2':
Aired January 25th, 2025
4.94 Million (+7 days)
7-Day Rank: 10th Place
5.71 Million (+28 days)
28-Day Rank: 8th Place
2x03 'Heat 3':
Aired February 1st, 2025
5.11 Million (+7 days)
7-Day Rank: 7th Place
5.75 Million (+28 days)
28-Day Rank: 7th Place
2x04 'Heat 4':
Aired February 15th, 2025
4.96 Million (+7 days)
7-Day Rank: 7th Place
5.50 Million (+28 days)
28-Day Rank: 7th Place
2x05 'Heat 5':
Aired February 22nd, 2025
4.90 Million (+7 days)
7-Day Rank: 11th Place
5.42 Million (+28 days)
28-Day Rank: 9th Place
2x06 'Quarter-Final 1':
Aired March 1st, 2025
4.62 Million (+7 days)
7-Day Rank: 7th Place
5.10 Million (+28 days)
28-Day Rank: 8th Place
2x07 'Quarter-Final 2':
Aired March 8th, 2025
4.21 Million (+7 days)
7-Day Rank: 11th Place
4.69 Million (+28 days)
28-Day Rank: 8th Place
2x08 'Quarter-Final 3':
Aired March 15th, 2025
4.97 Million (+7 days)
7-Day Rank: 9th Place
5.40 Million (+28 days)
28-Day Rank: 10th Place
2x09 'Semi-Final 1':
Aired March 22nd, 2025
4.34 Million (+7 days)
7-Day Rank: 12th Place
4.89 Million (+28 days)
28-Day Rank: 15th Place
2x10 'Semi-Final 2':
Aired April 5th, 2025
3.86 Million (+7 days)
7-Day Rank: 12th Place
4.19 Million (+28 days)
28-Day Rank: 13th Place
2x11 'The Grand Final':
Aired April 12th, 2025
4.71 Million (+7 days)
7-Day Rank: 6th Place
5.11 Million (+28 days)
28-Day Rank: 6th Place
2025 'Christmas' Special:
Aired December 25th, 2025
4.29 Million (+7 days)
7-Day Rank: 17th Place
5.48 Million (+28 days)
28-Day Rank: 13th Place
Series 3 (2026):
3x01 'Heat 1':
Aired January 17th, 2026
5.14 Million (+7 days)
7-Day Rank: 6th Place
5.74 Million (+28 days)
28-Day Rank: 7th Place
3x02 'Heat 2':
Aired January 24th, 2026
4.74 Million (+7 days)
7-Day Rank: 9th Place
5.23 Million (+28 days)
28-Day Rank: 9th Place
3x03 'Heat 3':
Aired January 31st, 2026
4.75 Million (+7 days)
7-Day Rank: 6th Place
5.35 Million (+28 days)
28-Day Rank: 6th Place
3x04 'Heat 4':
Aired February 7th, 2026
4.74 Million (+7 days)
7-Day Rank: 6th Place
5.13 Million (+28 days)
28-Day Rank: 7th Place
3x05 'Heat 5':
Aired February 14th, 2026
3.56 Million (+7 days)
7-Day Rank: 15th Place
4.07 Million (+28 days)
28-Day Rank: 9th Place
3x06 'Quarter-Final 1':
Aired February 21st, 2026
3.16 Million (+7 days)
7-Day Rank: 34th Place
3.67 Million (+28 days)
28-Day Rank: 20th Place
3x07 'Quarter-Final 2':
Aired February 28th, 2026
4.14 Million (+7 days)
7-Day Rank: 9th Place
4.49 Million (+28 days)
28-Day Rank: 13th Place
3x08 'Quarter-Final 3':
Aired March 7th, 2026
3.54 Million (+7 days)
7-Day Rank: 17th Place
3.90 Million (+28 days)
28-Day Rank: 18th Place
3x09 'Semi-Final 1':
Aired March 14th, 2026
3.87 Million (+7 days)
7-Day Rank: 11th Place
(28-Day figures not yet released)
3x10 'Semi-Final 2':
Aired March 21st, 2026
3.61 Million (+7 days)
7-Day Rank: 18th Place
(28-Day figures not yet released)
3x11 'The Grand Final':
Aired March 28th, 2026
4.18 Million (+7 days)
7-Day Rank: 9th Place
(28-Day figures not yet released)
So, what does this ridiculously long list of numbers tell us? That the show, on the whole, is doing just fine!
Series 3, for it's part, started extremely strong. Outranking Series 2 for it's first 4 weeks. Unfortunately, timeslot disuptions caused by the Rugby Six Nations Tournament turned the Series' fortunes against it quickly. With 3x06 suffering a genuinely poor total figure. Thankfully, the series was able to rebound well and maintained decent numbers and a strong finale.
Interestingly, when looking at the total number of episodes to fall out of the Top 10, Series 3 is only 1 behind Series 2 (That is, 4 Episodes in S2 didn't make Top 10, while 5 in S3 didn't) So while the numbers of those episodes are lower, the series actually had a similar level of variation in that regard.
And with that, over half of Series 3's episodes did chart in the covoted Top 10. Which is what we want to be seeing.
Series 3, in terms of 7-day numbers, has the lowest raw average of the series so far:
Series 1 (2024): 6.17 Million
Series 2 (2025): 4.73 Million
Series 3 (2026): 4.13 Million
Although, given the challenges Series 3 faced, the fact that it was able to remain above 4 Million averaged is impressive. Those first 4 episodes really do carry a large deal of weight. And the decline between Series 2 & 3 is significantly less than there was from 1 & 2. Which, given the rapid decline terrestrial TV is currently in, is a very reassuring thing.
Format fatigue is a real and heartless cow, and a shows 3rd year, I've found, can be it's truest test as any sense of 'Shiny new thing' wares off, and only the committed viewers remain. And if 'Gladiators' has a dedicated audience of at least 3.5 Million, with several spikes there above, the BBC won't be complaining.
Unfortunately, we cannot calculate the average 28-day Numbers, as Series 3 has not yet had all it's numbers revealed, but we can calculate what it is as of now:
Series 1 (2024): 6.85 Million
Series 2 (2025): 5.27 Million
Series 3 (2026) [So far]: 4.70 Million
Obviously, that S3 number will be different once the last few episodes are in. But as we can see, there is even less of a decline, Series to Series, in the 28-day numbers than in the 7-day numbers.
So, while Series 3 had a very rocky few weeks, it was ultimately a ratings success that continuesly proved to be one of the highest rated Entertainment shows in the country. And a consistent draw for BBC1.
This success, combined with the shows succesful tours, live events, and CBBC Spin-off (which draws in that precious younger demographic). Alongside the debut of things like American Gladiators on Prime, means the franchise's health is in a very comfortable place right now.
The BBC, it would seem agrees. With Series 4 having been commissioned after only 1 Episode of Series 3 aired, and a 3rd celebrity special confirmed for this year's festive season. The future of the BBC Gladiators reboot appears bright for the foreseeable.
The issue with starting as big as 'Gladiators' did, is that the only way is down. And anything below what it once achieved can seem, by contrast, dissapointing. Perspective is a very funny thing in that way. It can be hard to seperate what is objectively succesful with the type of success the show once drew.
Is the series as big as it was? No. Do I think it'll ever return to that? Severely unlikely. But that doesn't mean what we have now isn't a success, and isn't still raking in profit for the BBC. Because make no mistake, yes it is.
I would bet Series 5 is basically a given, considering how fast Series 4 was commissioned. Which means, In my proffessional opinion, we'll have the series until at least 2028.
Of course, a lot could change between now and then. Good and bad.
But for now, we can let the Gladiators rest after a year well fought.
Thank you for reading, and you'll be hearing from me again when the 28-day figures are complete.
Feel free to ask any clarifying questions, especially if you cannot be bothered reading the wall of text above, I don't blame you lol.