General Hospital
General Hospital 50th Anniversary Celebration Continues! Nurses' Ball Scores 18-Month Highs In Key Demos!
Courtesy/ABC
The week of April 8 through the 12th was an amazing week of episodes for General Hospital! The ABC soap who just turned 50 years old, continued its celebration in grand style with the second and third part of The Nurses’ Ball and the story of Luke and Laura and the Cassadines Ice Princess story revisited!
According to ABC, “During the week of April 8, “General Hospital continued its 50th anniversary celebration, soaring to 18-month highs in Women 18-49 (721,000/1.1 rating) and Women 25-54 (927,000/1.5 rating) – since week of 9/26/11 – placing a solid #2 for the week in the demos and climbing by double digits year to year across all target demos.
In fact, General Hospital generated the biggest year-to-year increases of any broadcast daytime program, surging by 29% in Total Viewers (2.87 million vs. 2.22 million), by 31% in Women 18-49 (721,000 vs. 550,000) and by 22% in Women 25-54 (927,000 vs. 760,000).
Monday’s telecast, returning to the ‘Nurses Ball’ storyline, stood as the series’ most-watched telecast in nearly 20 months in Women 25-54 (1.02 million) and in close to 4 months in Women 18-49 (789,000) – since 8/15/11 and 12/18/12, respectively.”
So what do you think of the impressive ratings? The Nurses’ Ball certainly had fan favorite returns, heartfelt moments and great singing and dancing production numbers! Let us know your thoughts on GH’s impressive ratings week!
The latest ratings are out for the week of October 26-30, 2026 and the big takeaways include: that CBS daytime’s Beyond the Gates was separated by only 23,000 viewers behind third place (of the soaps) General Hospital! For the last several weeks, Beyond the Gates has been closing the gap on this year’s winner for Outstanding Daytime Drama Series, and continuing to best GH in the key demos.
According to the latest Nielsen ratings breakdown from Soap Opera Network, the final week of October brought Beyond the Gates 1.790 million on average tuning-in and the show set a season high in total viewers. Meanwhile, General Hospital hit a new season low! The long-running ABC soap had 1.813 million for the week, and once again the series did not go over the 2 million mark.
Meanwhile, in the key Women 18-49 demo, Beyond the Gates was firmly ahead of GH with a rating share of 0.21, while General Hospital had 0.17 rating share.Then, in the key Women 25-54 demo, Beyond the Gates was once again ahead of the ABC soap with a ratings share for that demo at 0.30 while GH came in with 0.26.
Photo: CBS
MORE BY THE NUMBERS
In addition and comparatively, Beyond the Gates +22,000 viewers week-to-week, and had the largest gains in viewership year-to-year in daytime TV with +267,000 from this in 2025.. However, General Hospital seems to be going in reverse. The show was down -56,000 viewers week-over-week and down -22,000 year-over-year .
BEYOND THE GATES
Let’s take a look at some of the storylines that had people tuning-in to Beyond the Gates during the ratings week:
Hayley (Marquita Goings) attempted a massive shocker regarding her pregnancy and tried to use it to extract money from Bill Hamilton (Timon Kyle Durrett). Although, Bill saw right through her game, he demanded a paternity test, and made it clear he has no intention of raising the child—planning instead to pay her off to take the baby and leave. Meanwhile, Hayley confided her plan to her cousin Randy (Maurice P. Kerry).
Jacob Hawthorne (Jibre Hordges) and Naomi Hamilton (Arielle Prepetit) clashed over Jacob’s ongoing investigation into The Impaler, causing significant strain in their marriage. At the same time, Smitty (Mike Manning) considered taking matters into his own hands—including potentially heading to Mexico for evidence—while Martin Richardson (Brandon Claybon) worried about what comes next.
Photo: ABC
GENERAL HOSPITAL
Over at General Hospital for the ratings period, the story served up included:
Carly (Laura Wright) and Valentin (James Patrick Stuart) teamed up to investigate what really happened to Jack Brennan (Chris McKenna). Later, Danny (Asher Antonyzyn) leads them to Jack’s dead body.
Jude (Wil Traval) dropped a bombshell claim to Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn); that he is Phoebe’s father, while Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton) and Chase (Josh Swickard) signed their divorce papers.
Then, Danny caught Rocco (Finn Carr) and Scout (Kayden Brenna Tokarski) sharing a kiss, plus the shocking return of Heather Webber (Alley Mills) capped the week.
Now the questions become; without having much promotional synergy in the ABC day-part to draw more eyeballs it is not helping but hurting General Hospital. It seems Beyond the Gates is also a benefactor of a one-two-three punch of CBS soaps (Y&R, B&B and BTG) and promotion.
However, that still doesn’t take away the fact that Beyond the Gates is close to besting GH in all ratings category as they go head-to-head in some markets across the country.
So, are you excited to see Beyond the Gates climb in the ratings? Are you concerned for General Hospital? Do you think they can stave off Beyond the Gates in total viewers or will the upstart soap overtake them in the next ratings report? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
Antonio Sabáto Jr., the former Jagger Cates of General Hospital and GH: Night Shift, and the former Dante Damiano of The Bold and the Beautiful has issued his first public statement since the incident involving his son, Jack’s arrest in Alaska for a fatal hit-and-run.
Jack is the son of Sabáto Jr. and Oscar-nominated actress Virginia Madsen, and according to court documents obtained by KTUU Jack, was allegedly driving a white Chevy Tahoe when he hit and killed Carl Simmonds, 42, near an intersection in Anchorage around 5:35 a.m. on Monday, November 9.
The reports indicated that Jack fled the scene — but later decided to called the cops to say he hit “something” that “suddenly appeared in the road” while he was “doing late-night DoorDashing.”
Photo: NBC
Now, Antonio has taken to his Instagram breaking his silence on the situation, sharing, “At this time, my family and I are navigating an extremely sensitive and deeply personal matter.”
He added, “As a father, my love for my children remains unconditional, and my priority is the well-being of my family. We ask that the public and members of the media honor our privacy during this difficult time and keep us all in your thoughts and prayers.”
The soap alum concluded, “I also wish to extend my heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of the gentleman who tragically lost his life. My thoughts and prayers are with them as well. We sincerely appreciate your compassion, understanding, and respect for the privacy of everyone affected.”
Jack Sabáto was arraigned in court on Tuesday, November 10 with bail set at $5,000, and a no-driving order and the potential of $5,000 penalty fees if he fails to attend future court appearances.
Antonio is the father to Jack, 34, daughter, Mina Sabato, 24 and son, Antonio Sabáto III, 15.
This is a developing story. You can check out Antonio’s official statement below.
So, let us know your thoughts on this tragic hit-and-run, which claimed the life of another man, and Antonio’s statement, via the comment section below.
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Sonny (Maurice Benard) and Ava’s (Maura West) daughter Avery looks quite different, starting on today’s November 9 episode of General Hospital. That’s because GH has made Avery into a full-blown teenager and the role is now being played by actress Alya Bullington.
In her debut, the Tennessee native was thrown into the deep soap waters with Daytime Emmy winners, Maurice Benard and Eden McCoy (Josslyn). Bullington weighed-in to TV Insider about her first scene which featured Avery overhearing a fight between Sonny and Josslyn.
She explained “It was something I have never done before, I did not have a lot of experience with the screaming and the crying stuff, but I got my first script, and I was like, ‘OK, this is a huge opportunity to learn so much about how that stuff works and to become this character that I have never even tried playing before.’”
Photo: ABC
THE TEENAGED VERSION OF AVERY WILL HAVE A LOT TO CONTEND WITH
Speaking of working with McCoy, Bullington shared, “She’s incredible. I remember her just laughing and making jokes on set, and then the minute that they started taping, she just locked in and she cried immediately, and my first thought was, ‘I want to be able to do that.’
The soap opera newcomer added, “I think she just inspired me so much because she is so great and she can just lock into whatever character she wants to in the moment.”
The character of Avery was born back in 2014, but as recently as the October 8 episode of General Hospital, the character was suddenly referred to as a teenager. This is the second young female character in recent months to be aged up following the casting of Kayden Brenna Tokarski as Scout Cain.
As for her take on Avery and what’s ahead, Alya said,“She’s emotional, and she’s curious, and she’s a really fun person to play because so much stuff is happening in her life. I think she’s kind of confused about what’s happening and what to believe.”
So, what do you think about General Hospital making Avery a teenager? Are you excited to see the conflict between Sonny, Ava and Avery now that they have aged up the character? Share your thoughts and welcome Alya to GH via the comment section below.
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Katie Kicks Bill to the Curb … for Now
RATINGS: ‘Beyond the Gates’ Inches Closer to ‘General Hospital’ in Total Viewers
B&B’s Sydney Bullock Weighs In on Future of Dylan and Will: ‘I Think She Can Hold on to Him for Awhile’ (Exclusive)
Antonio Sabáto Jr. Breaks Silence on His Son’s Arrest for Fatal Hit-and-Run
DANCING WITH THE STARS: A Shocking Elimination on Grammy Night Leaves Ballroom Silenced
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THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS Preview: Episodes From New Co-Head Writers, Jamey Giddens and Dan O’Connor, Begin to Air
‘General Hospital’ Casts Ayla Bullington as the New Avery Jerome-Corinthos
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THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Katie Kicks Bill to the Curb … for Now
B&B’s Sydney Bullock Weighs In on Future of Dylan and Will: ‘I Think She Can Hold on to Him for Awhile’ (Exclusive)
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you know…. this isn’t all “sourgrapes”
but… it’s just time…
for GH to ascend to new heights…. ie: #2 is on the up and up…
should it be #1 – why not…
i read and hear that Y&R is on the mend… so… give em #2
DAYS…. hopefully… with Jenn Lilly and Charisse…. yeah, it’s revitalizing with characters and the writing is suspect…. Oye! TPTB… understand ???? PUHLEASE.
that leaves B&B @ #4.
Y&R will always be #1 no matter how bad it gets..
It has held #1 for for umpteen years even when it stunk to high heaven..
Then again, the BB and Y&R are shown in 32 countries..
GH in USA and Canada..
Y&R is a good soap, no doubt.. but in all these years not once has another soap topped its ratings, not even if just for 6 months..
and we know the odds of that happening for decades and it also has twice as many viewers as all the soaps.. I can see it having higher numbers but double?
Y&R will always be #1 .. (proof, it has been #1 for decades) even when other have been just as good and even much better..
You’d think just one year, just one, another soap would be #1 but it never happened.
(all as far as i know)
wow. CBS soaps are shown worldwide?!! No wonder why GH can’t beat CBS soaps eventhough the writting has been phenomenal as of late. Anybody know why ABC is not showing GH in those other 30 countries?
New characters to Days won’t help them, they need to dump their writing team.
I think they’ve tried that 14 times in the last couple years.
ces –
ditto!
DAYS -it’s bereft of passion…. the current writing team…
when will that writing team realize what a talented cast they have….. when?
it’s a little stifling to not compare… to GH…. when I watch both shows….
Totally Patrick!
There is no energy in this show, no passion, no oomphhh.. I want that mad crazy passion that Bo & Hope once had.
I can’t figure out why I still watch Days, after all, I did give it up for 10 years but thought I’d support it again when my faves came back.. Only problem? MY faves are either gone (Matt Ashford & Christie Clark) or they are not on the canvas much (Kristian, Drake & Dee)..
I may have to throw in the towel.
You just have to remember that Y&R will be #1 and will not leave that spot no time soon……….
It may not have been good over the years but it’s getting great again with JG as head writer. This past week has been a bit boring……
I know, right TRW? With the talent they have on that show, it’s a shame they aren’t utilizing them. The closest we had to a great storyline is Will coming out.. nothing has happened since.
Support GH soap fans…dont boycott it just because its on abc…over a year ago we were crying and complaining we were loosing our soaps, and now there is a turnaround we should not give up on any of them. Prove abc wrong…there is people watching soaps. no one boycotted cbs when they cancelled two of their soaps. Do what i do…boycott only the shows that replace our soaps not the whole network!
Love to hear it! GH has and is #1 for me!!!
This is good news for the soap world! A year or two ago, everyone was declaring the genre as dead.
congrats to GH’s crew and cast! Please keep it up. We love the show.
I don’t understand why Y&R and B&B numbers are so high. those shows are boring. Are they being broadcasted oversea and those viewerships counted toward the rating as well? Anybody knows?
I agree. I tried to watch Y&R years ago at it’s prime and I was bored. The pace is soooo slow and I’m sorry but trying to figure out what he hell Eric Braeden is muttering is not enjoyable TV.
I am thrilled for GH’s success on its 50th anniversary. Everyone involved in presenting this run of episodes deserves applause. Not only was it entertaining programming, it revived the entire genre and for GH, made it soemthign to keep watching into year 51 and beyond.
WOOHOO!
I agree, should be #1. 50th Celebration and Nurses Ball were both fantastic.
I’ve said it before….while I understand the ratings system and competition should make for better shows….I HATE that we put these shows against each other for ratings! I would much rather see how well ALL our soaps do against the other daytime shows – talk, game, judge…
Well, event programming always draws numbers- people who used to watch GH may have turned in for sentimental reasons, those who watch to see what the fuss is over, and then those lookie lous- fans of soaps that only watch when something big is going on then tune out after—if these viewers stick around then yes this will be good news. So it is the numbers in coming weeks that will tell the tale on whether GH star is rising or not.
I hope those viewers will stick around.
Yes, event programming does have that effect — but it bears noting that GH has had a steady incline in ratings over the last nine months, and just topped itself in numbers for the last EIGHTEEN months this past week. That’s an incredible accomplishment, considering where it was a little over a year ago. And the trend shows no sign of waning. 😉
anybody knows when GH renewal status would be confirmed? I’d love to see GH getting renewal for at least 5 more years. anyone?
GH is owned by ABC, so it’s on a perpetual production track; therefore, ABC doesn’t make a big deal about “renewing” it. It just keep chugging along. Basically, no news is good news.
Glad to see that all of the hard work and creative script writing paid off, and I hope to see GH continue to soar in the ratings. I am loving it. Keep up the great work.
GH may not get the numbers but it does get the praise..
No other soap gets praised, that is GH’s crown….
that’s right and we have the Emmy wins for best show to prove it. GH is the best in quality. I’d bet, if GH is shown in the same country as CBS soaps, our rating would be #1. Long Live GH!!
Awesome news! Soaps live on. I hope the naysayers will leave our shows alone now.
I sure hope we haven’t seen the last of Frisco. He and Felicia have so much chemistry, the screen just sizzles. Felicia and Mac that doesn’t happen. Mac is a nice guy and I enjoyed him with Alexis but not Felicia. I hated it when Felicia said no to Frisco. In fact, I turned my television to something else and the only thing that keeps me going back to GH is hoping that Maxie and Spinneli get back together.
What if Lauren Frank was always under Spinnelis nose and its Ellie? What if there really isnt a Lauren Frank but Francos child is really a man and its Spinneli?