TV Ratings: ‘Mayans MC’ Is Cable’s Top Series Debut of 2018

The initial ratings for Mayans MC on FX were promising. The first set of delayed-viewing and streaming numbers put the show at the top of the 2018 class.

In Nielsen’s live-plus-3 ratings, the series premiere of the Sons of Anarchy spinoff grew by about 2.1 million viewers, from 2.53 million to 4.6 million (a jump of about 82 percent). Mayans MC also brought 2.5 million adults 18-49 (+86 percent, and roughly a 2.0 national rating), 2.8 million adults 25-54 and 1 million in the 18-34 demo.

Throw in three on-air replays and early streaming figures and the premiere’s total audience grows to 6.8 million, making Mayans MC the No. 1 cable series premiere of 2018 to date. Its demo figures are also the best for any cable series debut this year.

More superlatives: Mayans MC was the most-watched and highest-rated series premiere on FX in more than two years, since the January 2016 opener for The People v. O.J. Simpson.

After posting nearly identical same-day ratings to Sons of Anarchy‘s 2008 series premiere, Mayans MC significantly outpaced its predecessor in delayed viewing. SOA‘s debut drew 2.8 million viewers and 1.7 million adults 18-49 after three days — though DVR catchup was not nearly as ingrained a viewing habit 10 years ago as it is now.

FX also noted that 19 percent of the audience for Mayans was Hispanic, driving FX’s second-best premiere numbers ever among Hispanic viewers, again behind The People v. O.J. Simpson. The series features a majority Latinx cast and several Latinx writers, including co-creator Elgin James. 

On average, Hispanic viewers have made up about 10 percent of the audience for English-language scripted series premieres on cable this year.