Why American Idol’s Ratings are Plunging

Why American Idol’s Ratings are Plunging

The world of television is full of ratings, drama and entertainment but in order to get those ratings it is required that the entertainment be at a suitable level.  Many people have heard for years that American Idol is the top rated show on television and in simple terms this just means that more people are tuning in to watch than any other show on television.  This means that the impact of the show doing poorly is honestly quite small in the overall scheme of things, but still requires some attention.

For years the hit show has commanded the top spot for ratings and combined with the pricy $700,000 ads for a mere 30 seconds has been one of the most profitable and popular shows on television.  Now at the conclusion of season 7 there is a significant drop in the ratings and many people are sitting around and asking exactly why the ratings are plunging and what can be done to change them.  In order to really understand how the ratings are being effected it should first be pointed out the American Idol has really enjoyed the top spot for years with very little competition. 

For the 2008 season which was the most recent season 7 the lowest ratings that have been reported was a paltry 21.25 million.  This is still enormous but in terms to the opening show of the season on January 15 at 33.24 million viewers it is a substantial drop.  Watching as the ratings fall people are starting to wonder exactly where everyone is going, why is there no emotional attachment that is encouraging viewers to watch.  The answer is not simple, but there are several reasons why the viewership is down.

For the majority of shows the ratings are significantly lower, but American Idol in all of its infinite glory has captured the title as the most popular show on television.  The problems lately have occurred due to several problems.  With the writers’ strike that has caused numerous problems for other television shows many people started looking to new locations for entertainment.  This combined with many people feeling as if the newest season of American Idol was a fix due to the large number of seasoned professionals competing caused many people to abandon the show early on.

The show overall has still enjoyed a rather significant run as the top champion and the changes that are occurring in the ratings may seem substantial but in reality all it spells is that more people are looking to new shows for entertainment.  Those who love the show have absolutely nothing to worry about since the ratings are still enormous; the only worry is that Fox may have to adjust the prices that they charge for advertising.  In terms of still giving viewers plenty of entertainment the show still to this day delivers and for the one lucky finalist to emerge as the American Idol of the year there is the guarantee of receiving a vehicle from Ford, plus a recording contract and a change to have a huge music career.

Getting past all of the negative influences that are trying to say that the show is going under leaves people with plenty of reasons to tune in next year.  But with the ratings falling to a level that has not been seen since season 2, it is no doubt that the producers of the show will sit around trying to organize some new ways to shake up the industry in the attempt to bring all of the viewers back.  How successful the measures will be is still yet to be seen, however it is sure to be some pleasing changes that will leave thousands more auditioning to be part of the biggest show on television.  Searching for the next American Idol each year is often a thrilling time of year, and watching as someone goes from the small audition to the large star at the finale is always a true experience.