Advertisement

TV ratings: ‘American Idol’ slides against lower Olympics

Share

Fox’s “American Idol” fell again in the ratings as NBC aired prime-time coverage of the Winter Olympics, featuring the women’s figure skating final and freestyle skiing.

“American Idol’s” telecast, revealing the cuts from its first-ever rush week, drew 9.2 million viewers, down about 10% from the average viewership from the Feb. 13 episode, according to preliminary numbers from Nielsen.

Among key 18- to 49-year-old viewers, “Idol” fell 20% week to week to a rating of 2.4 -- a series low for a regularly scheduled telecast. The results show was also down 8% from Wednesday’s all-boys competition round.

Advertisement

The new Greg Kinnear legal series “Rake” also posted a weekly decline in the key demo, falling 9% to a 1.0, though its total viewership was flat at 4 million.

PHOTOS: Behind the scenes of movies and TV

As usual, the Sochi Games won the night for NBC, though ratings continued to be lower than four years ago. An average of 19.9 million people watched the broadcaster’s prime-time sports coverage, 12% fewer than those who tuned into the comparable night of the Vancouver Games. Thursday night’s Olympics garnered a 4.9 rating in 18-49, down 17% from 2010.

ABC’s two-hour season finale of “The Taste” was flat in 18-49 compared with last week. The culinary competition’s closer scored a 0.9, which is a low for the series, though it increased 7% in total viewers to 3.2 million.

CBS showed only reruns.

ALSO:

‘Trouble With the Curve’ lawsuit faces key test

Advertisement

AMC calls lawsuit over ‘Walking Dead’ profits ‘baseless’

Morning Fix: Emmys changes. Get ready for ‘Anchorman 2.5.’

ryan.faughnder@latimes.com

Twitter: @rfaughnder

Advertisement