The American Idol TV show is back and now airing on ABC. The reality TV series music competition originally ran for 15 seasons before ending its FOX run in April of 2016. Although that network had planned to let it lie fallow a little longer and bring it back somewhere around 2020, the FreemantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment production companies were eager to get the show on the road. After talks with NBC went south, ABC and FOX stepped into the ring, and the Alphabet Network ultimately closed the deal in May of 2017. Now, they just have to wait to see whether the audience (and Nielsen households) are ready and eager for more. Will American Idol be cancelled or renewed for season 17? Stay tuned.
The American Idol revival typically airs on Sundays and Mondays on ABC. Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan serve as judges in season 16, with Ryan Seacrest returning as host. After making it through the nationwide audition process, the contestant pool is narrowed through a series of elimination rounds. Once the contest reaches the semi-finals, although the judges offer their criticism, the decision to keep or cut a performer is up to the viewing audience. For a specified window of time, fans may vote for their favorites, via phone call, text messages, and online. At stake is the “American Idol” title and a recording contract.
The ratings are typically the best indication of a show’s likelihood of staying on the air. The higher the ratings (particularly in the 18-49 demo), the better the chances for survival. This chart will be updated as new ratings data becomes available — usually the next day, around 11:30am EST/8:30am PST. Refresh to see the latest.
5/22 update: You can see the rest of the latest night’s ratings.
Note: If you’re not seeing the updated charts, please try reloading the page. You can also see them here and here.
For comparisons: The Wednesday (first night) editions of the 15th season on American Idol on FOX averaged a 2.34 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 9.418 million viewers. The Thursday (second night) editions averaged a 2.16 rating in the demo and a total audience of 9.093 million total viewers.
Note: These are the Live + Same Day Ratings which include “live” viewing plus delayed DVR viewing, up until 3am local time that same night. Ratings marked with an “*” are the fast affiliate ratings and will be updated with the Live+SD numbers when they are made available. Typically, networks get paid for C+3 ratings which includes DVR viewing within three days of the original airing when commercials are watched. Those numbers are rarely released to the press.
What do you think? Are you happy with the American Idol TV series revival? Should it be cancelled or renewed for season 17 on ABC?
5/4/18 update: ABC has renewed American Idol for another season. Details here.
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