CW average ratings, 2021-2022:
https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/t...eason-ratings/
Batwoman: average demo 0.09, average viewership 458k. Canceled.
Riverdale: average demo 0.06, average viewership 251k. Renewed.
Nancy Drew: average demo 0.05, average viewership 356k. Renewed.
At the very least, those latter two shows should also have been canceled if this were based on the numbers, since they were worse in every category (worse than Legends, as well).
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If Batwoman is unsuccessful, then by the same logic so is Superman and Lois.
Batwoman season 1 averages: 0.26 demo, 995k viewership
https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/b...n-one-ratings/
S&L season 1 averages: 0.2 demo, 990k viewership
https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/s...n-one-ratings/
S&L did worse in its first season with an undeniably more popular set of characters and arguably better marketing. But no one ever says S&L is a failure because that would be ridiculous.
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The RT score for the show as a whole is 82%. Season 1 has 80%, season 2 89%. Season 3 doesn't yet have enough ratings to calculate, but the two it does have are both positive.
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/batwoman
The Metacritic score is 59, aka almost the highest level of "mixed or average"; a score of 61 is the start of "generally favorable," for context.
https://www.metacritic.com/tv/batwoman
I'm not saying it was a success in the sense it was a smash hit. But neither was it some dead show that only 5 people watched.