The Nielsen company recently sent out a compilation of it’s American Idol research to the press. I thought I’d round up a few of the interesting factoids here for fun.
A few of my observations: Notice that popularity online doesn’t necessarily translate to popularity with the voters. Also, American Idol has an audience that skews a bit older with 29% of the total audience between the ages of 35-49. The tweaks for next year promised by FOX executives at the upfronts will surely include attempts to woo back younger viewers. No wonder Simon Cowell wants to lower the audition age to 14. The ratings chart of viewers by geographical region explains why the American Idol tour avoids the central-west region year after year–the show isn’t nearly as popular there as it is in the East and Pacific Northwest. My updated ratings chart.
Check out the list after the Jump…
- People age 35-49 watched American Idol Season 7 the most, making up almost 29% of the total audience.
- Kelly Clarkson is the best selling American Idol contestant with album and digital download sales of 18.9 million. Carrie Underwood is second with album and digital download sales of 15.7 million.
- Male contestants David Cook, David Archuleta and Jason Castro dominate the show’s consumer discussion online with 14.3% and 12.5% and 10.5% buzz volume, respectively. Brooke White continues to be included in conversations after being voted off two weeks ago with 7.5% buzz volume, while Syesha Mercado trails with 5.4%, more than two times less the amount of buzz compared with Cook and Archuleta.
- The most popular American Idol contestant from opinions and feedback from Hey! Nielsen’s online panel is Carrie Underwood.
- David Archuleta is this season’s most popular according to HeyNielsen.com.
- American Idol’s highest viewership was Season 5, where more than 30 million people watched on average, compared to 12 million the first season and 27 million this current season.
- The most watched American Idol episode ever was the final hour of Season 2 on Wednesday, 5/21/2003 — more than 38 million viewers tuned in live to watch the face off between winner Ruben Studdard and runner-up Clay Aiken.
- The Southeast part of the United States has the highest viewing levels above the national average, while the southwest has the lowest viewing levels below average.
- During 2007, American Idol featured 4,349 product placement occurrences. So far in 2008, the number of placements is surging — the program racked up 3,291 occurrences the first three months of 2008 alone.
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I like this one
Most Popular American Idol Contestants*
1) Carrie Underwood
2) Clay Aiken
3) David Archuleta
4) David Cook
5) Kelly Clarkson
MASH series finale in 85 was 106 million viewers and yes not all that many channels back then but still allott and so far the most watched in US history ..Why connection to Ai which is a reality show with non actors in a diferent decade? Easy while watching the director and producers of Course the cast gave the characters a suddle human quality made it feel natural it was like you were thier . /example when hawkeye was dealing with the bus event.While the Idols contestants are real but the producers seem at times over board pushiing some, using stunts , it seems more forced with thier objective whom is the best cash cow.example story lines stretched to thier limit,right lighting or the plugging of one. T No the contestants are not Alan Alda or Norma Ill native(bad with names) but the producers could learn something about watching Mash maybe returning the more natural human element that is missing lately allow it to happen not forced.
Maybe I am totally wrong in this assesment but I think some wold have grown more if not forced.
Enjoyed reading through the Neilsen stats. I still can’t figure out who the heck was voting for Shyesha. Still love Brooke lots.
Interesting.
Can’t wait to see the MTV clips, MJ.
Oh yes, DCFTMFW!
Interesting stuff. They screwed up about Jason though - they said he sang “What a Wonderful World” when they meant “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” in the section about original artists’ songs selling tons of digital downloads because of Idol performances. Kinda makes you wonder what other info might be not quite right…but that’s the case in all media, right?
14 year olds? GAWD. We don’t need no stinkin’ teeny-boppers . . .
AlwaysElliott - well, they screwed up by saying David instead of Jason, too … “83% since the February spike, was garnered by Abdul’s critique on two performances for David Castro although the contestant only sang one time.”
Every advertiser on the face of the earth wants the 14-21 y.o. BOY, not the girl, but the boy. They don’t realize that the boys are off playing videos and games. Now, if they really want to capture that age group why don’t they turn AI into a video game?
It’s absolutely backwards thinking, and Cowell is guilty of this too, to believe they will attract the 14-21 y.o. to the TV. Hardly any kids watch TV these days. They’re in the chat rooms, playing games, on the cell phone. And the move by AI to lower the age to 14 won’t work. They should bring back “Junior Idol” … it wasn’t a bad show, they just didn’t give it a chance.
I’m not sure what your source is for this statement. Has there been a study done on kids watching TV?
I’m questioning this because I have a 14 year old cousin (female), who is an avid Idol watcher. She watches other TV too, but I know that she loves Idol. Also, my mom and sister-in-law work in a junior high school and my mom is CONSTANTLY telling me about all these TV shows that are so popular these days. I know that’s a pretty small sample, but the kids that myself and my family know do watch TV. They play video games, too, but they do watch TV.
KrazeeK120, I have to cosign this one as well. I have a 9 year old boy and 11 and 17 year old girls. And they watch tv. They are all avid idol watchers, but the girls way more than the boy. They also buy cds, the boy could care less. Frankly I think it has always been women that have fueled idol, hence Clay Aiken being considered more popular than Kelly Clarkson.
I don’t like the idea of lowering the age of the contestants, but sadly it might just work. But it would be a bandaid if they continue to fine tune the show too much. They did alot of stuff wrong this year and last where they lost their audience after an insanly popular season and tour. Can’t put that genie back in the bottle.
As for American Jr. That was a bad idea, and I watched it, but for the laugh factor, not the talent.
One tweak they can do that is obvious is less creepy auditions and more Hollywood week. The numbers certainly say so.
abby, I’m going to disagree with you on that. I’ve always felt that Kelly has been considered more popular than Clay. She has sold a TON more CD’s than he has. Her songs (even the old ones!) are all over the radio. I can’t tell you the last time I heard a Clay song on the radio. It’s been years.
If that happens, I doubt I’ll watch the show anymore. The pressure of the show is WAY too much for a 14 or 15 year old to handle. I really think the age should be INCREASED to 18. Get the kids out of high school before putting them through the Idol wringer.
Edited because I can’t quote correctly.
I agree, they should change the age range from 16-28 to 18-30.
I am all about more Hollywood week…..the last two seasons have raced through it and its been crummy….
And shame on me for not noticing “David Castro” Egads.
Yep.
Give me less of the “looney tunes” auditions, more of Hollywood week, more of the candid moments (such as the 2 David’s ‘dry wit’). The group numbers I can kind of do without. The Ford adverts can be fun to watch.
I agree that 18-30 is appropriate and probably easier for the producers to work with logistically. I’m not up for more precocious young teens competing on AI.
As the parent of a 16-year-old I don’t think the particular stress generated by AI is good for someone that age. Plus, there are loads of school related competitions for students. State solo/ensemble is a huge deal up here for kids who are musicians or singers. They need to go that route where the adjudicators are more encouraging and they have the support of their teachers.
KrazeeK120, that was actually the point I was trying to make. Of course Kelly is more popular than Clay. She’s sold more cds, and she is the radio champ as well. Touring $ as well. It’s because AI is a women’s show, imho and they demographic skews to his fanbase, that is why he is perceived as more popular. Even though given the propensity of AI fans for spamming,if there was a way to spam this, Clay’s fans will win that one hands down. Even after the failure of My December, his failures seem collasal.
Why do you guys keep saying things like ”if the producers do X I’ll never watch the show anymore”? of course you’d still watch the show. It’s not like this season they haven’t been cruel and stupid and you still kept watching.
Seriously, I won’t watch if they lower the age to 14. Don’t think I’m watching next season anyway.
I think everyone is in agreement, that the age needs to be upped to 18. Simon who used to pan the younger contestants, such as Diana DeGarmo has done a 180 degree turn. And, yet, he is the one who tells the truth? Spare me.
I don’t see the prodcuers doing this at all. They have to keep some 16 and 17 year old contestants on the show to get the tween demo. AI doesn’t want to only cater to adults.
The posters on this board are not a representational sample of AI viewership anyway. A lot more are younger and/or are casual viewers.
I am not interested in watching an AI that is comprised primarily of young teens so if the age limit is lowered to 14 and the ranks of finalists swell with kids from 14 - 19, I truly won’t watch anymore. There hasn’t been one yet that has interested me. They simply do not have the life experience needed to invest a song with the kind of maturity that I enjoy in a vocalist. Precocious wonders like Archie and Paris from Season 5 might be someone I’d enjoy in five or ten years but not at this stage in their development.
If they aren’t going to up the age, I sure don’t think they should lower it any further. If they do, they will lose me and I believe, many others as viewers. It would be interesting to see whether the loss of adult viewers would be offset by the numbers of younger viewers they might pick up. I sitll maintain even if the numbers balanced out, which I doubt, the younger viewers would not be anywhere near as loyal.
I’m on board with kids that definitely still watch tv. I’ve got twin 13 year old boys, and while they play their fair share of video games, and screw around on the computer, they watch a lot of tv. And, the *only* reason they’re watching Idol is because I do. They’re into shows like Earl, The Office, Chuck and Burn Notice. They have way more sophisticated tastes than I did at their age — and feel AI is lame and pretty much done for.
(Of course, they’re rooting for Cook, but don’t want to admit it. Checking our iTunes accounts, I find Innocent and Billie Jean on their playlists.)
I have no interest in seeing younger children on Idol. I don’t enjoy seeing the stress playing out on little Achie’s face - nor seeing Randy blather all over him in such a friggin’ creepie way.
I also agree that less horrible auditions, and more back stories in Hollywood would be great. Although I do have friends that only watch the horrible auditions, and that’s it.
Not sure how to fix it — if they can. The show may simply have run it’s course.