‘True Blood’ bites down on lower ratings in Season 6 premiere

Sookie Stackhouse’s powers might be even more limited than she thought: HBO’s “True Blood” saw a big ratings dip in its sixth-season premiere Sunday.

An average of 4.5 million viewers tuned in at 9 p.m., according to Nielsen. That was a 13% decline compared with last season’s rollout.

However, otherworldly waitress Sookie (Anna Paquin) and her vampire pals squared off against tough competition Sunday, with the NBA Finals drawing a huge crowd on ABC (total-viewer numbers will come out Tuesday).

PHOTOS: ‘True Blood’ Season 6 premiere

At 8:45, HBO drew 2.3 million with its behind-the-scenes special “True Blood: Live from the Set.”

This is the first season of “True Blood” since creator Alan Ball left as showrunner; he was replaced by Brian Buckner.

The vampire drama is HBO’s most-watched drama since “The Sopranos.”

What did you think of the Season 6 premiere?

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