Wednesday’s “American Idol” finale once again revealed that the franchise is the most popular non-sports property on television. It also, unfortunately, revealed that the show is not as universally-appealing as it once was.
The episode averaged a mere 28.8 million viewers for the two-hour grand finale, which makes it one of the least-watched “Idol” finales in history. Last year’s show averaged over 31 million viewers.
The show’s final half-hour, in which Kris Allen was crowned “Idol” champion over judges’ favorite Adam Lambert, garnered the attention of 34 million.
On the adults 18-49 front, the finale was the worst-rated in the history of the series, including the first season, which premiered as a summer series. The latest figures say the show earned a 10.0 in the demographic, which was enough to give the show dominance over the night but not enough to change the fact that “Idol” ratings have fallen from their peak.
The household rating was a 15.6, off hours of 13.8 and 17.3.
