Top Gear Ratings Plummet

Top Gear ratings have dropped dramatically in the second episode of the new season under hosts Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc.

BBC revealed an average of 2.8million viewers tuned in on Sunday night to watch episode 2, 1.6million fewer than the previous week.

Top Gear host Chris Evans has once again jumped on the offensive on social media claiming; “The way Top Gear is being viewed is repositioning the way television is consumed. Last week 9 million viewers. This week we shall see.” Evans does have a point, more than 4.5million streamed the episode after its initial airing, however, there is no getting around a steep drop off in the number of people tuning in on the BBC television broadcast.

See Also: New Top Gear Debut

Top Gear held just 14% of viewers in the time slot and was out rated by ‘BBC One’s Antiques Roadshow’ in the same time slot- a fact that former hosts Clarkson, Hammond and May are no doubt feeling rather smug about.

Perhaps the only redeeming factor for the struggling new Top Gear is that addition of the post-show spin-off “Extra Gear” on BBC Three. Extra gear is a more informative look at automotive news and reviews under the watchful eye of highly respected motoring journalist, Chris Harris.