American Idol Season 13 Ratings Start with Unimpressive Numbers

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgofKxBmH2XrVdRwmGfFs7hrPqT75tltZmj9ZqUTtKhxIPqRFZHKqSXHweWO_BgGQe0OzdlXSXD59OgGWAh8yC3pOBc3SfZbqQt39hOL48cG48AB_lWsGR3tqrQ87mWsyRfiqg5tPybrYow/s1600/premiere-viewership.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgofKxBmH2XrVdRwmGfFs7hrPqT75tltZmj9ZqUTtKhxIPqRFZHKqSXHweWO_BgGQe0OzdlXSXD59OgGWAh8yC3pOBc3SfZbqQt39hOL48cG48AB_lWsGR3tqrQ87mWsyRfiqg5tPybrYow/s1600/premiere-viewership.png" width="400" /></a></div>Even if the chemistry between Keith Urban, Jennifer Lopez and Harry Connick Jr. seems much improved over the Season 12 group with Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey, that does not mean their ratings will magically improve. In fact with a premiere viewership of 15.2 million, that number is almost exactly one half the viewership of the premiere for Season 8 five years ago that brought in 30.4 million. Since then the premiere numbers have been on a steady downward trend, indicative not only of the downward trend of broadcast television viewing in general, but of a reality music performance show that first started over a dozen years ago.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1qXTvEt733_nH3eXL76notyPUOlavByOncDedjJ0iDIZFanhVCbSb-BI-pbdWF_j2wo_JR7uPr6MYB3ZbjzQ9FdeaDtvqeA_jSGsn_LuLct2vVeXbhFuBLUnAyfPGhKdSdJMe6T_TT31J/s1600/premiere-finales.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1qXTvEt733_nH3eXL76notyPUOlavByOncDedjJ0iDIZFanhVCbSb-BI-pbdWF_j2wo_JR7uPr6MYB3ZbjzQ9FdeaDtvqeA_jSGsn_LuLct2vVeXbhFuBLUnAyfPGhKdSdJMe6T_TT31J/s1600/premiere-finales.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />However, I did notice one glimmer of good news in the numbers. If you look at my second graph, I have added the viewership of the finales in red to go with the premiere numbers in blue. In every season except Season 10 (Scotty McCreery's year), the number of viewers of the finale were lower than the number of viewers of the premiere. And then in the following season the premiere numbers were higher than the previous finale numbers going from 8 to 9, and then 9 to 10, But since Season 10's finale, both the premiere of Season 11 and Season 12 had viewership lower than the finales of the previous seasons. However, Season 13's premiere actually had more viewers than Season 12's finale (14.3 M), the first time since the premiere of Season 10 (26.2M after Season 9's finale with Lee and Crystal with 24.2M.) So perhaps that can be some good news hidden in these not so great numbers. Hopefully people will dismiss last years unexciting finale and spark a trend more like Season 10 where the viewership will actually go up from the premiere to the finale. I know Fox is hoping for something like that! For that to happen I believe it will simply require some contestants that people can learn to love and want to follow. If they repeat the Season 12 snooze fest of contestants they can just watch the numbers continue to fall.

American Idol Season 13 Ratings Start with Unimpressive Numbers

Even if the chemistry between Keith Urban, Jennifer Lopez and Harry Connick Jr. seems much improved over the Season 12 group with Nicki Mina...

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