Monday's TV Ratings: 'Bachelor' Hits Premiere Low

New Year's Day plans shot network television programs to stunning lows.

ABC's The Bachelor season 22 premiered Monday night to a total of 5.5 million viewers and a 1.5 demo rating, a 17 percent and 29 percent dip from the previous year.

Though these numbers marked an all-time premiere low for the long-running reality dating show, The Bachelor won the evening's broadcast-TV race in the demographic on the first day of 2018.

To rival ABC's season premiere, CBS aired a repeat episode of The Big Bang Theory, which topped total viewership for broadcast networks, and three old episodes of Young Sheldon. Big Bang earned 6.58 million total viewers while its spinoff series' episodes steadied around six million per show.

Other networks watched viewership slide on the holiday, including NBC's original airing Better Late Than Never. The show averaged 4.2 million and a 0.7 demo rating, down from both its season 2 premiere and its average for season one, which held steady at 7.3 million viewers and a 1.6 rating. The network also aired newcomer hit The Wall as the lead-in show (4.3 mil/0.8).

Fox didn't fare well against its competition as Lucifer (3.14 mil/0.7) and The Gifted (2.52 mil/0.7) dropped to series lows.

Meanwhile, ESPN's coverage of the double-OT Rose Bowl game averaged a 14.7 overnight rating, up 29 percent from last year's Peach Bowl. It also came close to the College Football Playoff Semifinals high, which was set in 2015. The Sugar Bowl earned a 12.5 overnight rating, up 19 percent over last year's broadcast of the Fiesta Bowl.