The internet loves a good downfall. Lately, if you scroll through TikTok or dive into a Reddit thread, the narrative is everywhere: the Kardashian empire is crumbling, their show is a "flop," and nobody is watching anymore. But honestly, the truth about ratings for the Kardashians is a lot more complicated than a simple downward arrow.
It’s easy to look at the raw data and panic. When the family made the massive jump from E! to Hulu in 2022, they were touted as the biggest premiere in the streamer's history. Flash forward to late 2025 and early 2026, and the "vibe shift" is undeniable. Season 7 premiered in October 2025, and while it stayed in the Hulu Top 10 for a bit, it didn't have that same oxygen-sucking cultural dominance we saw a decade ago.
Is the world bored? Maybe. But "bored" in Kardashian-land still translates to millions of eyeballs.
Why the numbers look scary (but might not be)
Traditional TV ratings used to be simple. You had Nielson boxes, you had a time slot, and you had a number. Streaming is a black box. Hulu and Disney+ don't just hand over a spreadsheet of every person who clicked "play" on Kim’s latest cry-face.
Instead, we have to look at "engagement scores" and third-party data. By January 2026, The Kardashians ranked around #21 in the Reality TV category on major tracking platforms like Television Stats. That’s a dip. There's no sugarcoating it. Season 5 and 6 saw engagement scores hover around 64 to 71, whereas earlier seasons were regularly pushing 90+.
People are definitely "hate-watching" less. That sounds like a win for their mental health, but for a brand built on being talked about, silence is the real enemy.
The "Aspirational Gap" problem
One of the biggest reasons for the cooling ratings for the Kardashians is that they’ve become too successful for their own good. Fans used to love the "accessible rich" era. Remember when they lived in houses that felt like actual homes and fought over stolen Bentley's?
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Now, they live in "billionaire alien" mansions.
Everything is beige. Everything is curated. On Reddit, fans are increasingly vocal about how "joyless" the show feels. When you're watching a billionaire complain about the logistics of their third private jet while the person watching is struggling with a $15 grocery bill for eggs, the "relatability" factor doesn't just drop—it falls off a cliff.
The Kim Kardashian Pivot: Scripted vs. Unscripted
Here is the twist that most people miss. While the flagship reality show might be cooling off, the family is diversifying. Look at All’s Fair, the Ryan Murphy-produced legal drama starring Kim that hit Hulu in November 2025.
Critics absolutely mauled it.
It started with a literal 0% on Rotten Tomatoes. It was called "existentially terrible." And yet? It was a massive ratings hit. It pulled 3.2 million views in its first three days, becoming Hulu’s biggest scripted debut in years.
This tells us something vital about the Kardashian brand in 2026:
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- People still want to see Kim.
- They prefer seeing her "do something" rather than just sit in a minimalist kitchen talking about her "anxiety."
- Bad reviews are often better than no reviews.
Kim even leaned into the hate, posting the scathing reviews on her Instagram. She knows the game. If you can’t get them to love you, get them to watch you out of spite.
The Hulu Strategy: More is More
If the show were truly dying, Disney wouldn't be doubling down. In early 2026, Hulu executed a massive deal to bring all 20 seasons of the original Keeping Up With the Kardashians (the E! era) onto the platform.
Why buy the old stuff if the new stuff is failing?
Because the "Kardashian Universe" functions as a lifestyle ecosystem. Even if the current season of The Kardashians feels a bit stale, it serves as a 40-minute commercial for Skims, Good American, and Kylie Cosmetics. The "ratings" are just one piece of the ROI. As long as those businesses are printing money, the show is a success in the eyes of the board members.
Misconceptions about "The End"
Kris Jenner has been open about the fear of the show ending. In late 2024 and throughout 2025, she reportedly voiced concerns that the "lemon has been squeezed" enough. But look at the landscape. Even a "declining" Kardashian show performs better than 80% of other unscripted content.
They are the floor of the reality TV market.
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What’s actually happening behind the scenes
There’s a shift toward shorter episode counts and tighter marketing budgets. You’ve probably noticed the seasons feel a bit more "produced" and less "raw." This is a business move. Streaming services in 2026 are obsessed with profitability over pure growth.
The family is also splintering. Kendall and Kylie are barely in it. Kourtney is often off in her "Lemme" world. This leaves the heavy lifting to Kim and Khloé, which can make the storylines feel repetitive. How many times can we watch a "medical mystery" or a "co-parenting talk" before we check our phones?
How to track the real success of the show
If you want to know if they’re actually in trouble, don't look at IMDb scores (which are currently sitting at a pretty grim 4.5/10). Look at these three things:
- Retention: Does Hulu renew them for Seasons 8 and 9? (Signs point to yes).
- Cross-Platform Buzz: Are clips from the show still going viral on TikTok?
- The "All's Fair" Effect: Does the success of Kim's scripted work lead to more spinoffs that aren't just "talking heads" in a studio?
Honestly, the "death" of the Kardashians has been predicted every year since 2007. They are the cockroaches of pop culture—and I mean that as a compliment. They survive everything.
To get a true sense of whether the show is still for you, try watching an episode from the E! era (now on Hulu) back-to-back with a Season 7 episode. The difference in energy is wild. One is a family circus; the other is a corporate retreat.
If you're looking for the high-octane drama of the 2010s, you probably won't find it in the current ratings for the Kardashians. But if you want a glossy, high-fashion background noise that keeps you up to date on the world’s most famous influencers, they aren't going anywhere yet.
Keep an eye on the Season 7 finale numbers. If the viewership doesn't spike for the "big reveal" moments, that’s when the real conversations about cancellation will start happening in the Disney boardrooms. Until then, the empire is just renovating, not collapsing.