Idol Finale Ratings Dip

LOS ANGELES: While still the highest-rated show this season, American Idol recorded a drop in viewing for its finale on Wednesday, with an estimated 28.8 million viewers tuning in, down from the 32 million who watched David Cook win last year.

The viewing figures for the season eight finale are the series’ lowest since 2004, according to reports. The show crowned 23-year-old Kris Allen as this year’s Idol, over frontrunner Adam Lambert, in one of the biggest upsets in Idol history. Almost 100 million votes were submitted for the final two, and some 650 million votes were recorded over the course of the entire season.

Idol averaged 26.3 million viewers this season—at its peak, in 2006, it was bringing in an average of 30.8 million. The ratings slip comes as the show grapples with its future. Simon Cowell has indicated he could leave once his contract is up in May of next year, and there have been concerns expressed about the four-judge format implemented this year with the addition of Kara DioGuardi.

Auditions for season nine kick off this summer, with FOX slated to launch the show in January. It is unclear if FOX and producers 19 Entertainment and FremantleMedia North America will make any new changes to the format when it returns next year.