“Big Brother” Season 28 has ended with an average multiplatform audience of 5.1 million viewers in live+7 ratings, up 8% from last summer. That is according to CBS, which released the figures exclusively. The show also set a new record for streamed full-episode viewership on Paramount+.
The finale airs live as a 90-minute episode on Thursday, Oct. 1 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and Paramount+. Rick Devens, Drew Campbell and Taylor Brown are the final three players competing for the $750,000 prize.
Viewership Numbers
CBS says viewership of “Big Brother” Season 28 full episodes and live feeds on CBS, Paramount+ and Pluto TV has totaled 14.8 billion minutes, up 9% from last summer. That compares to 13.6 billion minutes last year.
The 5.1 million multiplatform average puts the show 46% ahead of summer rival “Love Island USA” Season 8 on Peacock, which drew 3.5 million viewers.
Social engagement was also strong. The series generated more than 25 million social interactions, the most of any broadcast program outside of sports. Engagement was up 116%, viewers were up 162% and new followers were up 118%.
Streaming Record
This year’s “Big Brother” and its spinoff “Big Brother: Unlocked” produced more than 52 hours of programming, the most original hours in franchise history. The show also hit its landmark 1,000th episode this season.
CBS celebrated that milestone by presenting the show with two Guinness World Records titles: “Most Episodes of a Primetime TV Series” and “Most Episodes of a Competitive Reality TV Series.”
Final Three Players
Rick Devens, who might become the first “Survivor” alum to also win “Big Brother,” is one of the finalists. The other two are Drew Campbell and Taylor Brown.
The winner takes home a $750,000 prize. The finale will be a live, 90-minute episode on CBS and Paramount+.
How the Numbers Break Down
The 14.8 billion minutes of viewing covers full episodes and live feeds across three platforms. The 5.1 million multiplatform average includes live viewing on CBS, streaming on Paramount+, and Pluto TV.
The social numbers are notable. More than 25 million interactions, up 116% from last season. New followers grew 118%, from 82,000 to 179,000.
Finale Date
The finale airs live on Thursday, Oct. 1 at 8 p.m. ET. It will stream on Paramount+ alongside the linear broadcast.
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| Final episode | Thursday, Oct. 1 at 8 p.m. ET |
The three finalists will compete for the $750,000 prize. The winner will be announced at the end of the episode.
What the Numbers Show
“Big Brother” is ending its Season 28 run with an average multiplatform audience of 5.1 million viewers, up 8% from last summer. That is the core fact.
The rest is context. Guinness World Records titles, spinoff hours, social engagement stats — all of it supports the central claim. The show is performing at a high level across platforms.
The numbers confirm the scale of the audience and the engagement. Whether that translates into cultural significance is a separate question. The show is popular, but popularity is not the same as influence. The numbers tell us how many people are watching, not what they think about it.
For now, the finale is the event. The winner gets the money, and the show moves on.
Source material: “‘Big Brother’ Ratings Average 5.1 Million Multiplatform Viewers This Summer, Up 8% From Last Year (EXCLUSIVE),” Variety.
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