The American Idol series was once the highest-rated show on television. Those days are now long gone but the series still does well for ABC in the ratings. After 20 seasons, does the show still have a bright future? Will American Idol be cancelled or renewed for season 21? Stay tuned. *Status Update Below.
A singing competition series, the American Idol TV show features returning judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan in season 20 (the fifth season on ABC). Ryan Seacrest returns 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 calls, text messages, and online. The winner claims the “American Idol” title and a recording contract.
The ratings are typically the best indication of a show’s chances of staying on the air. The higher the ratings, the better the chances of survival. This chart will be updated as new ratings data becomes available.
5/23 update: You can see the latest night’s ratings in context.
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For comparisons: The Monday episodes of season 19 of American Idol on ABC averaged a 0.87 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 6.03 million viewers. The Tuesday episodes of season 19 of American Idol on ABC averaged a 0.69 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 4.85 million viewers.
Note: These are the final national ratings, including all live+same day viewing and DVR playback (through 3:00 AM). Early fast affiliate ratings (estimates) are indicated with an “*”. While these numbers don’t include further delayed or streaming viewing, they are a very good indicator of how a show is performing, especially when compared to others on the same channel. There can be other economic factors involved in a show’s fate, but typically the higher-rated series are renewed and the lower-rated ones are cancelled.
What do you think? Do you like the American Idol TV series on ABC? Should it be cancelled or renewed for a 21st season?
*5/14/22 update: American Idol has been renewed for a 21st season by ABC.
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