Cena-Nikki relationship drama doesn’t boost Total Bellas ratings
The media push leading up to Sunday and all of the hype over John Cena and Nikki Bella’s relationship status didn’t mean much for Total Bellas ratings.
The show’s third season premiere averaged 517,000 total viewers and a 0.27 rating in the 18-49 demo on E!. That’s down from 674,000 viewers for the season two finale and 681,000 for last season’s premiere.
It’s also the lowest viewership for an episode in series history, though Total Bellas was moving to a new night for this season after previously airing on Wednesdays.
Total Bellas finished 24th on cable in the 18-49 demo on Sunday night. The Golden State Warriors’ game three win over the Houston Rockets in the NBA Western Conference finals led the night with 7,797,000 viewers and a 2.88 rating in the demo.
After Cena and Bella announced their split in April, Cena appeared on the Today Show last week and said he still wants to marry Bella and have children with her. Bella then responded while at NBC Universal’s upfronts, saying she also has hope for their relationship. People.com most recently reported that they’re “basically back together.”
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.