Is the end nigh for ‘Basketball Wives’?
It seems so, if its parent platform VH1 takes it wretched ratings into consideration.
Launched as VH1’s answer to the Bravo‘s ‘Real Housewives’ empire, ‘Basketball Wives Miami‘ saw its plug pulled following the departure of its leading lady Evelyn Lozada who sought greener (and undoubtedly more peaceful) pastures at Oprah’s OWN.
Unable to continue without her, two of ‘Miami’s wives (Tami Roman and Shaunie O’Neal) made their way over to ‘Basketball Wives Los Angeles’ to fill the large void left by that show’s star Draya Michele once she quit the series in the middle of its fourth season.
Now it seems ‘LA’ may be following in ‘Miami’s footsteps.
For, after delivering abysmal ratings all season (some of which coming in at under a third of what the average ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’ pulls in weekly) the show’s reunion special was slapped with worrying low numbers.
How so?
The highest-rated episode of the season was October 16th’s season finale which drew in 1.82 million viewers.
Modest, when placed next to the 3,320,0000 viewers ‘Love & Hip Hop Atlanta’s season four finale attracted on the same platform.
However, fans had hoped its reunion special would see things take a turn for the better.
It didn’t.
Perhaps repulsed by the physical and verbal attacks dished out to charismatic newcomer Duffey, exactly 50,000 viewers opted to turn away from the season before it ended.
Amber Rose, a friend of Duffey’s, had this to say about the abuse she suffered during her time on the series.
Quite interestingly, the last ‘Basketball Wives LA’ reunion to cross the 2 million viewers secured border aired in 2014, when the aforementioned Michele led its cast.