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"Idol," which crowned North Carolina singer Caleb Johnson the
winner in a two-hour finale on Wednesday night, was once an
industry powerhouse for Fox, watched by more than 30 million
viewers at its peak.
But it has steadily declined in ratings in recent years,
averaging around 8 million viewers per episode over the latest
season, despite featuring celebrity judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith
Urban and Harry Connick Jr.
The 18-49 demographic that advertisers covet accounted for 3.4
million of the viewers for this year's finale, down from last
year's 6 million.
Early Nielsen ratings data on Thursday from Fox said total
viewership for the "Idol" finale was 10.1 million, with 3.3
million in the 18-49 demographic.
Last year, the finale garnered 14.2 million viewers, the first
time the show's end failed to draw 20 million people, despite
bringing in high-priced celebrity judges Mariah Carey, Nicki
Minaj and Urban to boost sagging ratings.
Its biggest competitor in the singing contest space, NBC's "The
Voice," drew 11.6 million viewers during its Tuesday finale,
down from the 15.3 million during its spring finale last year.
"The Voice," which airs in both the spring and fall each year,
continues to be a ratings hit for the Comcast Corp-owned network
and has outpaced "Idol," averaging about 13.8 million viewers
per episode this season.
"Idol" will be scaled back for its next season from
approximately 50 hours to 37 hours, Twenty-First Century Fox
Inc's Fox Broadcasting entertainment chairman Kevin Reilly said
earlier this month.
Last year, longtime "Idol" producer Nigel Lythgoe was fired from
the show because of low ratings and replaced by Swedish Per
Blankens.
(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Mary Milliken, Andre
Grenon and Mohammad Zargham)
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