Bill Inoshita/CBSThough more houseguests than ever checked into the Big Brother house, season 15's premiere lost some viewers.
The CBS reality hit returned with 6.3 million viewers for its premiere Wednesday night, scoring a 2.1 rating in the adults 18-49 demo. Those numbers are down 12 and 19 percent from the season 14 premiere; they're also down 1 million viewers from BB 14's finale (7.4 million viewers).
Big Brother season 15's less-than-stellar premiere ratings match 2008's record-low numbers for the franchise.
Still, 6.3 million viewers was enough for Big Brother to win its timeslot (8 p.m.) in total viewers, while it tied Fox's MasterChef in the demo. Gordon Ramsay's cooking competition actually increased in the demo (rising to a 2.4 rating) in its second hour, helping Fox reach the top 18-49 rating of the night.
Though its summer reality powerhouse is down in numbers, CBS still scored a big ratings win earlier this week: New scripted drama Under the Dome brought in impressive ratings, attracting 13.1 million viewers and a 3.2 rating among adults 18-49, which makes it broadcast TV's most-watched summer premiere since 2007 (The Singing Bee) and CBS' highest-rated summer launch since Big Brother debuted in 2002.
In the Big Brother premiere, two new twists were introduced: Each week, viewers will vote for the House MVP, and three contestants, not two, will face eviction. Oh, and the MVP, who is anonymous, gets to pick the third nominee on the chopping block.