When the Kardashians announced they were moving their reality TV series to another network, no one knew what to expect. A big move like that could mean many things for the reality series, and everyone was eager to see what would happen. Hulu promised a more documentary-style of production, and with all the drama going on in the family's lives, everyone was hoping for juicier content. Once the show debuted, though, viewers were miffed.
It was the same show, repackaged onto Hulu, and still had all the problems that Keeping Up with the Kardashians did. Namely, it was a lot of drawn-out drama, less-than-satisfying storylines, and plenty of scenes that felt contrived at best, and at worst, fake. Of course, the negative reviews meant people were tuning in. So has The Kardashians been successful on Hulu, and earned good ratings?
The Kardashians Moved To Hulu For More Money
The first sign that The Kardashians is a success? The fact that its predecessor, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, spanned 15 years with 20 seasons and a bunch of spinoffs. That series was E!'s best-performing show in 2007, and the Kardashians continued with it for ages.
But as far as any outsider could tell, the Kardashian family specifically moved their show to Hulu to make more money, not because the show wasn't doing well. Salary data hasn't been publicized, of course, but insiders have hinted that the family makes nine figures each from The Kardashians.
A highlight, beyond the massive salaries, is that all the family members are apparently paid the same, with Khloé Kardashian explaining that the price had to be right for the family to continue selling what amounts to access to their private lives. Not only that, but it had to "be a good fit," per Khloé.
For one thing, the family was sharing their personal stories, noted Khloe. Especially for her and Kim Kardashian, a network that would support their privacy even while producing the "reality" show was probably a priority.
Kylie Jenner would also have plenty of dramatic storylines, while Kendall Jenner's appearances would continue to be less consistent than her sisters'.
But Kris Jenner also suggested the new series was all about finances, saying it would be "foolish" to leave money out of the conversation. But does paying the Kardashian-Jenners millions of dollars leave anything on the table for Hulu?
The New Reality Series Has Tons Of One-Star Reviews
Despite the family's success from KUWTK, there have always been detractors who think the family needs to swear off reality TV for good. But for every online commenter or critic who drags the Kar-Jenners, there's apparently another who's enjoying the series.
Of course, there are also people who watch the series, then go drag it online. Most agreed that the show hadn't changed much, and was "a total disappointment." Critics dragged the Kardashians for flaunting their money, discussing shallow topics, and using product placement for, they assumed, even greater financial perks.
Many commented on the family's "trashy" behavior (Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker, specifically), the clearly scripted scenes, and negativity.
Despite the show having low ratings on nearly every platform, from Google (2.6 stars) to Rotten Tomatoes (31%) to critic reviews blasting the series, it's still on the air—and Hulu probably couldn't cancel it even if they wanted to.
Not that they should; if the show is generating enough income to pay the Kardashians a shared $100 million across 30 episodes (and two seasons), the viewership has to be there.
Is The Kardashians On Hulu Actually Successful?
As much as viewers begrudge the Kardashian-Jenners their fame and fortune, someone is tuning in to watch the show. In fact, it's millions of 'someones.' As The Kardashians is under the Hulu umbrella, they are owned by Disney.
As Variety explained, Disney does not give out viewing numbers or ratings (though they do provide subscriber numbers to shareholders). That means there are no specific stats on how well The Kardashians performs.
Given that it continues to air, it can only be assumed that the show is doing well. One indicator did stem from the show's premiere on Hulu, however.
Variety noted that based on information provided by Hulu, The Kardashians was "the most-watched series premiere on Hulu in the United States, and on Disney+ and Star+ among Star Originals, across all global markets to date."
That doesn't mean The Kardashians is the most-watched show ever, as Hulu didn't compare data from other streamers, but if it broke all of Disney's records, that's a massive success.
Plus, Walt Disney Television's chairman specifically noted, "the Kardashians embody Hulu’s programming strategy," adding, "They perfectly symbolize our strategy, which is taking big shots, but the right shots, and betting on incredible talent and best-in-class opportunities in each genre."
Even if people continue to drag the show, something is clearly working right for the streamer, and the Kardashian-Jenners are their secret sauce.
