American Idol Hits Ratings Rock Bottom

When American Idol was resurrected by ABC last year hopes were high that the show would be able to reclaim its spot at the top of the ratings charts once again, but that hasn’t been the case. It’s now appearing likely that the series will be cancelled a second time.

When American Idol first appeared on FOX in 2002 it was an instant hit. It quickly became must-see TV and was a ratings darling for the network. It even produced some bona fide new musicians such as Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and even non-winners managed to find their way to the top of the charts such as Clay Aiken, Chris Daughtry and Chris Daughtry. As the seasons started to pile up, judges came and went, but near the end of it’s time on FOX the ratings started to dwindle. In 2016 they cancelled the show, and it looked like it was finished.

In 2017 ABC announced they were reviving the series in 2018, with Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie starring as the judges. Unfortunately it never really caught on, with the latest ratings showing the series to have sunk to its lowest point ever.  A source told American Media Inc that “No official announcement has been made, but with viewers dropping from 7.2 million to just 6 million, the show is dead.”

Part of the issue may have been timing, as American Idol had only been off the air for a short time before ABC decided to renew it. It also premiered opposite popular shows such as O.J.: The Lost Confession, and faces stiff competition from shows such as NBC’s The Voice and The Four on FOX.