Though “American Idol” remained utterly dominant in the Wednesday ratings race, the FOX reality juggernaut delivered its least-watched premiere since the show’s inaugural 2002 season.
Fast national data reveals a viewership average of 26.1 million, a drop of more than ten percent from last year’s opener. Among the coveted adult 18-49 demographic, “Idol” dropped below the 10.0 threshold to a 9.7 rating.
The largest season-to-season premiere drop in the demo, the ratings can still be viewed as impressive (after all, “Idol” will more than double any of its competitors among young adults) if the Wednesday numbers represent an organic starting point for the show.
If, however, that 9.7 rating was inflated by curiosity in the new judging panel, the tenth season of “Idol” could prove very disappointing by season’s end.
