This…is American Idol’s…worst premiere in 12 seasons!
That’s what Ryan Seacrest’s intro should have been last night! Because the long-running reality series pulled in their lowest audience for a premiere since the show started in 2002!
Gone are the days when AI was the most watched TV show in the country (they hold the record for 8 seasons in a row!), because their ratings are clearly slipping!
Last night’s Season 13 premiere brought in about 15 million viewers, making it the first time that they’ve ever had a first episode with less than 20 million people watching!
What’s the problem, America?! Do you not like Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban, or Harry Connick Jr. as your judges?
It’s not exactly all bad news for Idol however. The show did draw around 5 million more viewers than anything else on TV last night. And their ratings are pretty much on par with The Voice’s season 5 premiere back in September.
FOX also points out that for the first time since 2011, American Idol’s premiere ratings actually went up vs. last season’s finale! So perhaps fans who had thrown in the towel on the series are suddenly singing a different tune?
We’ll have to wait and see if the talent they find this year is good enough to keep audiences watching from start to finish!
[Image via FOX.]