Tim Allen in 'Shifting Gears,' Quinta Burnson in 'Abbott Elementary' Gilles Mingasson/Disney; Raymond Liu/Disney Share on Facebook Share on X Share to Flipboard Send an Email Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Print the Article Post a Comment Logo text ABC's comedies Shifting Gears and Abbott Elementary opened their 2025-26 seasons with decent-sized audiences for their initial airings - and a big bump from streaming and other delayed viewing. The two shows' Oct. 1 season premieres added millions of viewers and each more than tripled their initial rating among adults 18-49 over seven days of cross-platform viewing. Abbott, in fact, grew by more than six times its opening number in the key ad-sales demographic. After a week of streaming on Hulu, Disney+ and other platforms, plus DVR playback, Shifting Gears had 7.57 million viewers and a 1.17 rating among adults 18-49, equivalent to about 1.59 million people in the demo. The total audience grew 73 percent from 4.37 million for the Tim Allen-led show's first airing on ABC, and its adults 18-49 rating grew by more than three times from its starting point of 0.35. Related Stories Guest Column How Movies Increasingly Drive Streaming Revenue TV TV Ratings: 'Dancing With the Stars' on a Hot Streak to Start Season 34 Abbott Elementary, meanwhile, rose from 2.83 million viewers for its first airing to 6.64 million after a week of cross-platform viewing, a gain of 135 percent. Its 18-49 rating went from 0.29 to 1.9 - a sixfold increase and equivalent to about 2.59 million viewers ages 18 to 49. A breakdown of linear and streaming viewers for the season premieres isn't available yet, but the viewing patterns for both shows are similar to last season's final cross-platform numbers, which cover five weeks of viewing. In those figures, about 42 percent of Shifting Gears' audience over 35 days came via streaming, while Abbott Elementary collected more than half of its five-week total from streaming. Both shows also got the majority of their 18-49 ratings from digital platforms. THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up The Young and the Restless Heather Hill, Longtime 'Young and the Restless' Director, Dies at 85 Live Feed The Boulet Brothers on 'Dragula: Titans' Season 2 and Hopes of Earning a Best Reality Competition Series Emmy Nomination: "It Would Be Important" Live Feed Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert Give Trump Credit for Gaza Ceasefire: "Finally Did Something Positive" Live Feed Tayshia Adams and Tyler Cameron to Judge HGTV's 'Bachelor' Mansion Renovation Show: See the Full Cast (Exclusive) Patricia Arquette 'Murdaugh: Death in the Family' Review: Jason Clarke and Patricia Arquette in Hulu's Latest Persuasive, if Unrevealing, True Crime Offering Robbie Brenner Mattel Studios Boss Robbie Brenner Talks 'Masters of the Universe,' 'Polly Pocket' and 'Magic 8 Ball' at MIPCOM: "'Barbie' Blew the Doors Open for Us" The Young and the Restless Heather Hill, Longtime 'Young and the Restless' Director, Dies at 85 Live Feed The Boulet Brothers on 'Dragula: Titans' Season 2 and Hopes of Earning a Best Reality Competition Series Emmy Nomination: "It Would Be Important" Live Feed Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert Give Trump Credit for Gaza Ceasefire: "Finally Did Something Positive" Live Feed Tayshia Adams and Tyler Cameron to Judge HGTV's 'Bachelor' Mansion Renovation Show: See the Full Cast (Exclusive) Patricia Arquette 'Murdaugh: Death in the Family' Review: Jason Clarke and Patricia Arquette in Hulu's Latest Persuasive, if Unrevealing, True Crime Offering Robbie Brenner Mattel Studios Boss Robbie Brenner Talks 'Masters of the Universe,' 'Polly Pocket' and 'Magic 8 Ball' at MIPCOM: "'Barbie' Blew the Doors Open for Us"