[MusicTalker]

Originally posted by Yahoo!

Is "American Idol" no longer the cultural titan it once was? The numbers are in for last night's season finale. Not even the notoriously kind Judge J.Lo would have been impressed.

For the first time in a long time, “Idol” won’t finish as the top-rated program in primetime. According to preliminary numbers, NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” will go down as this season’s top-ranked program. The NFL game of the week averaged around 20.7 million viewers, while "Idol's" Wednesday edition averaged 19.7 million viewers this season. With big NFL ratings come big numbers for the league. Last December, according to The Hollywood Reporter, “the NFL pre-emptively renewed TV rights deals with CBS, Fox, and NBC for nine years (through 2022) at an average increase of 7 percent per network that will take revenue for the NFL from $1.93 billion annually to $3.1 billion by 2022.”

Wednesday night’s ‘Idol’ finale "delivered a preliminary 6.1/18 among adults 18-49." That's down 32% from last year. Preliminary numbers suggest the finale had 21.5 million viewers. What was once the new hotness has become old and busted. Circle of life, kids.

Industry site Deadline.com points out that this shouldn't come as a huge surprise. Throughout the year, the Fox reality show has been "tracking 30% lower than last season." But it isn't like the show was killing it last season. In fact, last season was (until now) the show's lowest-rated finale. However, this year’s season finale did have the most votes of any finale, an indication that while the numbers may be dwindling, those who remain are more passionate than ever.

Of course, "American Idol" has been on the air for about a decade, so it's no wonder it's getting a little long in the tooth. New shows with similar setups like "The Voice" are heading in the opposite direction. The NBC competition ended its second season earlier this month with a 16% jump over its debut season. Its Season 2 finale earned 11.6 million viewers.
But its not just “The Voice” that is gunning for the “Idol” demographic. There’s “The X Factor” with former “Idol” judge Simon Cowell. “Duets” with one-time “Idol” winner Kelly Clarkson. And one mustn’t forget Howard Stern on “America’s Got Talent.” “Idol” has a long-term fight on its hands and the star power of J.Lo and Steven Tyler might not be enough. Perhaps another major shakeup is in order. Judge Weird Al, anyone?

http://tv.yahoo.com/news/-american-i...last-year.html

[cheers09]

that's for making jessica lose

[hazuki]

Atleast it beat The Voice...

[Rigalo]

Time for X Factor to take over

[MusicTalker]

Originally posted by Rigalo

Time for X Factor to take over

X Factor is hardly different, & I think the US Version relies heavily on drama. At least the first season did.

Anyway, while these singing competition shows are great platforms for unknown artists, they are becoming oversaturated to the point where almost none of the newer contestants are seeing success. It's too much.

[JM4ever]

The performers are not really for teenagers' interest (Neil Diamond, Chaka Khan, Jennifer Holiday, etc.). They only have Rihanna.

[BreatheMusic]

Maybe if they had people perform more recent songs as well the younger crowd will actually watch.

[Dark Phoenix]

Well 19.7 M are still huge.

[Willy.]

The X-Factor is about to dominate.

[MrPeanut]

Thus ends the most dominant ratings streak in television history. Eight years at #1.

[Changes]

Football.

[MusicTalker]

Originally posted by Dark Phoenix

Well 19.7 M are still huge.

That's true. I can't help but think that the show is dying, slowly but surely. It will be sad when it goes, despite me not watching it anymore. It has literally been on all my life & was an integral part of my childhood. I will literally never forget it.

IMO they should end next season to end on a high note.

[Willy.]

Originally posted by MusicTalker

That's true. I can't help but think that the show is dying, slowly but surely. It will be sad when it goes, despite me not watching it anymore. It has literally been on all my life & was an integral part of my childhood. I will literally never forget it.

IMO they should end next season to end on a high note.

Exactly. They should promote it as "The Final Season", and make it all dramatic with all the winners participating.

[Taigan]

Originally posted by MusicTalker

That's true. I can't help but think that the show is dying, slowly but surely. It will be sad when it goes, despite me not watching it anymore. It has literally been on all my life & was an integral part of my childhood. I will literally never forget it.

IMO they should end next season to end on a high note.

Ur 10 years old?

[MrPeanut]

They really should have ended after Simon left.

[Super_freddie]

Well duhhhh!!!!!!

Repetitive WGWG winning... That trick gets old. And this season will be the last season idol had a bit of credibility

[I'm JAVIng Fun]

Originally posted by MrPeanut

They really should have ended after Simon left.

+1

I miss his criticisms they make the show more interesting to watch

[Jessica19]

Idol is still the number 1 show. The only ratings that count are the 18-49 Rating to the advertisers. Idol won that again for the 8th time,

[Rico Shameless v2]

While it's actually not #1, I'd say it still is. Sunday Night Football is just always going to be.

[Benzene]

SNF.

Seriously though, I still consider it number 1. Sports don't count in my mind, football is king in the U.S. and everyone knows it.

X-Factor about to dominate? That's what everyone was saying last year.