Ratings for “Live with Kelly” have dropped markedly since Regis Philbin’s departure last month.
In the three weeks measured by Nielsen since Philbin’s Nov. 18 swan song, “Live” has seen its audience erode by 35 percent in total viewers.
That takes into account the week following Philbin’s departure, when “Live” aired only three new shows with guest co-host Jerry Seinfeld joining host Kelly Ripa.
For that week (ending Nov. 25), “Live” averaged 4.5 million viewers — which dropped to 3.8 million viewers for the week of Dec. 2, and then fell to 3.6 million viewers for the week of Dec. 9, according to Nielsen.
In Philbin’s last week on “Live,” the show averaged nearly 6 million viewers — up from the 3.4 million viewers it averaged in October.
“Live” has used a rotating roster of guest co-hosts with Ripa — including Neil Patrick Harris, Derek Hough, Jonah Hill and Josh Groban — and is expected to name a permanent replacement for Philbin this winter.
Philbin, 80, left the show after 28 years when he couldn’t agree on contract terms with Buena Vista, which produces the show.
Elsewhere in daytime, “Dr. Phil” continued its reign as the top-rated show for the week ending Dec. 11 — and was up 11 percent year-to-year.
“Dr. Oz” finished in second place for the week ending Dec. 11, while Anderson Cooper’s “Anderson” retained its title as the top-rated freshman daytime talk show.