ABC's 'Bachelor' empire is crumbling as ratings plummet and scandals mount. The flagship series hasn't aired since March 2025, with no return date announced. Last year's 'Golden Bachelor' finale saw viewership drop 60 percent from its debut season, while 'The Bachelorette' failed to air entirely in 2025 after two underperforming seasons.

Taylor Frankie Paul's domestic violence controversy has become the latest blow to the struggling franchise. ABC had cast the reality star to revitalize 'The Bachelorette' but pulled the plug after TMZ published video of Paul assaulting her partner in 2023. The network knew of both the assault charges and an ongoing police investigation when announcing her season.

Streaming competitors like 'Love Island USA' and 'Love Is Blind' have captured younger audiences with edgier content that network television can't match. Viewership for 'The Bachelor' has fallen by nearly three-quarters over the past decade, from nine million viewers per episode in 2016 to roughly 2.4 million today. Industry experts say the franchise's traditional approach to love and marriage feels increasingly outdated in 2026's dating landscape.