Before I get to this week’s rating’s news, I have to post a correction. Last week I reported that Ryan Seacrest reported 45 million votes during the Top 10 results show Season 5. That was incorrect. In fact, Ryan did not mention any vote totals at all. Here is an updated and corrected vote totals chart:
This week, vote totals are down only 6% from last year. Daylight Savings Time had kicked in the previous Sunday morning last year. This is significant, as the downturn in the ratings has so far been blamed on DST starting three weeks early this year.
Here is an updated Season 6 ratings chart. It includes final Nielsen ratings for American Idol through the Top 10.
Here are this week’s preliminary ratings:
- Fox started the night off with “Idol,” which averaged 25.6 million viewers and a 9.9 rating/28 share in the adults 18-49 demographic. It easily beat relatively anemic competition at 8 p.m., including “NCIS” (13.7 million, 3.2/9) and “Dateline: NBC” (5.7 million, 1.8/5) plus repeats on ABC and the CW.
- The half-hour result show, which sent rocker girl Gina Clocksen packing, averaged 25.3 million viewers and a 9.5 rating/26 share among adults 18-49, according to preliminary data from Nielsen Media Research.
Season 5’s final Nielsen numbers for Top 9 week had 28.8 million viewers and a 11.6/32 rating for Tuesday, and 26.2 million viewers and a 10.8/26 share for Wednesday.
The preliminary numbers for this week could change once they are final, but for now, that’s an 11% decrease for Tuesday’s show and a 3% decrease for Wednesday.
Those numbers for last year include a Daylight Savings Time dip. So, that particular excuse for lower ratings can be set aside. Mainstream media like Variety, TV Week and TMZ are now acknowledging an actual slide in the ratings this year compared to last.
Related Posts
Wait, your chart says that Idol averaged 33 million people for top 9 night, but the Media studio thing says only 25 million? What’s right?
I read an article this week that said network TV ratings are down in general. All the hit shows are taking a beating, including Grey’s, Lost, AI, 24, etc. My point is while the AI talent this year contributes, it may not necessarily be the main reason ratings are down for the show. A lot of people are just choosing to turn off the tv or turn to cable or something.
That’s the last time I attempt to defend season 6.
33 million is the number of votes. 25 million is the number of people who watched.
Season 6 = Season 3
Yes, the ratings are down, but there was plenty of room to spare.
The ratings always dip whenever AI tries to conjure up a diva-fest. Jeeesh, you’d think they would have figured that out by now…
They’d better hope that Sanjaya lasts a little longer because I would suspect that he’s attracting many new viewers.
I’m more interested in vote totals, I’m sure the number of signings last year will have a knock on effect.
Also the ‘placing’ of the top three in last weeks show could result in a shock departure. The ‘they’re safe so don’t need my vote’ mentallity may kick in.
Since Sanje and Blake are the only “entertainers” on the show, I am inclined to agree, MommyDog, that Sanje is, indeed, a magnet for new viewers. I admit I quite enjoy Sanje (and Blake)and look forward to their performances, whether good or bad. They lighten up an otherwise dreary crop of contestants.
A note on the statistics, I read Donna Reynolds Chartwatch Friday and she had Daughtry listed as #31 on the R&B/HipHop chart. I wonder if she could be wrong in this as I don’t think Chris has ever aspired to sing R&B or HipHop.
I disagree about Sanjaya. At first, people were viewing AI to see the spectacle. Once media outlets starting pouncing like pirannas and other networks started airing stories attacking Sanjaya and AI because their respective lineups are severely lacking, it created a ho-hum factor. Personally, I am “sanjaya-ed” to death. I do not read articles that feature him, or watch news segments that mention him. Enough is enough.
Anyone who thinks he is “entertaining” or an “entertainer” needs to get out more. He is a young kid who is clearly out of his league. Who knows, he may develop better singing skills with work, but right now, he should not be on AI.
As for the ratings, I think the dip is people turing their back on the whole Sanjaya story. I think once he is gone, we will see the ratings go back up, ESPECIALLY as we get closer to the end of the show.
Shame you’re not reading articles that feature Sanjaya, Madmike, you’ve missed some damn good ones.
It’s ’cause Taylor’s not there this year…. :)
Madmike, when I said entertaining, I meant in relation to the other dreary ones. I have gotten in a habit of watching AI and have been a viewer since Season 1. The only season that has been as boring and dreary as this one was Season 3. Like a fool, I continued to watch that one too.
I think Sanjaya is QUITE entertaining, and I get out plenty, but thanks for telling me what to do!
Anyone who thinks this season is boring and dreary needs to take a closer look. It is far from it. UGH.
Like someone else said before, I’d like to see how this season’s numbers match up to season 4. Season 5 just had an interesting mix of contestants all the way around - no one contestant pulled in 5 or 6 million more viewers.
Oh wow…Sarah I certainly did not mean to single you specifically or anyone else on here out. I apologize if it came off that way, it was not my intent. It was more of shot at Randy and Paula for their comments.
In my opinion, his only entertainment value is of the train wreck variety, and I feel bad for him. As much as he seems to be taking it in stride, I personally wouldn’t want to be the butt of everyone’s joke.
I enjoyed Season 3, I would have loved it had Diana DeGarmo won, but one can’t have everything. Even Jasmine who didn’t warrant 3rd place vocally, put out a nice debut album.