'Outlander' Scores Four-Year Ratings High With Season 8 Premiere

Mar 19, 2026 1:00pm PT ‘Outlander’ Scores Four-Year Ratings High With Season 8 Premiere By Ethan Shanfeld Plus Icon Ethan Shanfeld @ethanshanfeld Latest Stavros Halkias Joins Glen Powell’s Country Music Comedy From Judd Apatow (EXCLUSIVE) 1 hour ago ‘SNL’ Launches Short-Form Series ‘The Rundown’; Colin Jost Picks a Favorite Cold Open in First Episode 1 day ago Martin Scorsese to Host Special Easter Episode of ‘The Saints’ on the Virgin Mary 1 day ago See All Starz The Season 8 premiere of “Outlander” drove nearly 3 million multiplatform viewers to the series, marking a four-year ratings high for Starz’s time-traveling drama. The episode, titled “Soul of a Rebel,” scored the top spot for the week among scripted cable programs. The eighth and final season of the historical fantasy show airs its third episode on Friday, March 20, with new episodes streaming weekly on Starz. Related Stories 'Heated Rivalry,' Cynthia Erivo and Lady Gaga Win Big at Queerties Awards: Full Winners List Variety and Gold House to Spotlight Asian Pacific Creatives in Entertainment With Third Annual 8 Up Next List In the final installment, “Jamie and Claire soon find the war has followed them home to Fraser’s Ridge, now a thriving settlement that has grown and flourished in their absence,” per the description. “With new arrivals and changes made during their years away, the Frasers are confronted with the question of what they are willing to sacrifice for the place they call home and, more importantly, what they would sacrifice to stay together. While the Frasers keep a united front against outside intruders, family secrets finally coming to light threaten to tear them apart from the inside. Although they’ve left the war for America’s freedom behind, their fight for Fraser’s Ridge has only just begun.” Popular on Variety “Outlander” stars Caitríona Balfe as Claire Fraser, Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser, Sophie Skelton as Brianna MacKenzie, Richard Rankin as Roger MacKenzie, John Bell as Young Ian Murray, David Berry as Lord John Grey, Charles Vandervaart as William Ransom and Izzy Meikle-Small as Rachel Murray.  The show debuted in 2014 and is based on the fantasy books by Diana Gabaldon. Matthew B. Roberts, Ronald D. Moore, Maril Davis, Toni Graphia, Luke Schelhaas, Andy Harries, Jim Kohlberg, Balfe and Heughan serve as executive producers on “Outlander,” which is produced by Sony Pictures Television. Jump to Comments Disney and Marc Jacobs Team Up on ‘Mickey & Friends’ Tennis Collection Can New Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro Weather AI, Revitalize ‘Star Wars’ and Marvel and Save the Magic Kingdom? Devon Sawa Joins Disney Series ‘Coven Academy’ Disney Taps Paul Roeder as Communications Chief Under Incoming CEO Josh D’Amaro Disney and F1 Expand ‘Fuel the Magic’ Partnership With Uniqlo Collection, WEBTOON Comic Series and Mickey Mouse Plush Toys Disney Gets Bump From ‘Zootopia 2,’ ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ and Parks in Year-End 2025 Quarter, Streaming Income Jumps 72% as Company Stops Disclosing Disney+, Hulu Subscriber Numbers JavaScript is required to load the comments. Loading comments...