Pat Sajak's Farewell Episode of Wheel of Fortune Breaks Ratings Record with 11.03 Million Viewers

Honolulu, Hawaii, Hawaii, USA United States of America
Pat Sajak's final episode of Wheel of Fortune on June 7, 2023, drew the largest audience in over four years with 11.03 million viewers.
Ryan Seacrest was revealed to be taking over as host in Season 42.
Sajak announced his retirement as host from Wheel of Fortune in June 2023, with Season 41 being his last.
The boost in viewership extended beyond Sajak's final episode, with repeats of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune on ABC also seeing a significant increase.
Wheel of Fortune averaged 8.5M viewers and a 5.0 household rating during Sajak's final week, marking an 18-week ratings high for the show.
Pat Sajak's Farewell Episode of Wheel of Fortune Breaks Ratings Record with 11.03 Million Viewers

Pat Sajak's final episode as the host of Wheel of Fortune on June 7, 2023, drew the largest audience in over four years with 11.03 million viewers. This marked the most-watched telecast of the week across broadcast, cable and syndicated programming (excluding sports). The episode achieved the highest household rating of the week with a 6.2.

Wheel of Fortune averaged 8.5M viewers and a 5.0 household rating during Sajak's final week, marking an 18-week ratings high for the show. All five episodes that week were among the highest-rated and most-watched telecasts of the week.

Sajak announced his retirement as host from Wheel of Fortune in June 2023, with Season 41 being his last. He agreed to stay on as a consultant on the show for three years following his final year hosting. Ryan Seacrest was revealed to be taking over as host in Season 42.

The boost in viewership extended beyond Sajak's final episode, with repeats of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune on ABC also seeing a significant increase. The June 7 episode reached 4.1 million total viewers, marking the most-watched broadcast on a summer Friday in four years for ABC.

Sajak concluded his 41-season run with a direct-to-camera address at the end of his final episode, expressing gratitude to fans and acknowledging the impact Wheel of Fortune had on families and generations. Seacrest and White will take over hosting duties in Season 42.



Confidence

90%

Doubts
  • Is it confirmed that Seacrest will definitely be taking over as host in Season 42?
  • Was the increase in viewership due solely to Sajak's retirement or were there other factors at play?
  • Were all five episodes in Sajak's final week among the highest-rated and most-watched telecasts of the week?

Sources

100%

  • Unique Points
    • Pat Sajak's final episode of Wheel of Fortune on June 7 reached 11 million viewers.
    • It was the most-watched episode since April 2020 and the most-watched telecast of the week, excluding sports.
    • The show had aired over 1,000 episodes since then.
    • The episode achieved the highest household rating of the week with a 6.2.
    • All five of Sajak's final episodes landed in the Top 15 broadcasts of the week.
    • Repeats of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune on ABC saw a boost, reaching 4.1 million total viewers and marking the most-watched broadcast on a summer Friday in four years.
    • It was also the best summer Friday broadcast in seven years and best in its timeslot in eight years for ABC.
    • Pat Sajak signed off as Wheel of Fortune star after more than 40 years, handing his hosting duties to Ryan Seacrest and Vanna White.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

99%

  • Unique Points
    • Pat Sajak will star in a play titled Prescription: Murder at The Hawaii Theatre next summer.
    • Pat Sajak has donated his time and talents to raise money for The Hawaii Theatre in the past.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    The article contains an appeal to authority when it mentions that Gregory D. Dunn, President and CEO of Hawaii Theatre Center, states that they are fortunate to have Pat Sajak and Joe Moore volunteering their time for the production. This is a fallacy because the author's opinion does not provide any evidence or proof that Sajak and Moore's involvement in the production is significant or valuable.
    • The Hawaii Theatre, which is the state’s premier historic performing art venue for several years, is very fortunate to have both Sajak and Moore volunteering their time to the program.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

100%

  • Unique Points
    • Wheel of Fortune had the largest audience in over 4 years with 11.03M viewers for Pat Sajak’s farewell episode on June 7, 2023.
    • Pat Sajak announced his retirement as host from Wheel of Fortune in June 2023, with Season 41 being his last.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

99%

  • Unique Points
    • The final episode of Pat Sajak's hosting on Wheel of Fortune drew 11.03 million viewers, the biggest audience for the show in more than four years.
    • Pat Sajak announced in May 2023 that he would leave Wheel of Fortune at the end of the 2023-24 season.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    The author makes no explicit fallacious statements in the article. However, there is an instance of an appeal to authority when the author states 'Only game two of the NBA Finals (12.31 million viewers on June 9) outdrew Wheel of Fortune.' This statement implies that the NBA Finals are a reliable benchmark for comparison and therefore Wheel of Fortune's viewership is significant.
    • Only game two of the NBA Finals (12.31 million viewers on June 9) outdrew Wheel of Fortune.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

100%

  • Unique Points
    • Pat Sajak's final episode as Wheel of Fortune host had 11.03 million viewers (unique to this article)
    • The highest viewership for Wheel of Fortune in 1,072 episodes since April 29, 2020 (unique to this article)
    • Sajak’s farewell program ranked as the most-watched telecast for the week in both household rating and total viewership (unique to this article)
    • Wheel of Fortune was the No. 1 syndicated show of the week with an average household rating of 5.0 and an average viewership of 8.5 million (unique to this article)
    • The five telecasts during Sajak’s last week ranked within the week’s Top 15 telecasts across broadcast, cable and syndication in both households and total viewers (unique to this article)
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication