While “American Idol” is still a mega ratings force, the cracks in the franchise are widening. The show just had it weakest ratings performance since 2002, and it’s down 8% for the season among 18-49s.
Every other network would love to have ‘Idol’s’ ratings, so the situation isn’t dire, but concern must be running through the halls at Fox. We believe “American Idol” will still easily win the season, but doing so next season and beyond is in jeopardy. As we analyze the situation, we believe the ratings slips are based on three key factors.
1. The show is growing stale and predictable: The addition of new contestants and a new judge isn’t enough to keep the show feeling fresh, season after season. The format, look, judging style, and commentary are largely the same. Secondly, some of the musical “themes” are questionable at best, especially if they’re targeting the 18-49 demo.
2. Fluff vs. Stuff: At this stage of the competition, with only a few contestants left, producers have the daunting task of trying to stretch 15 minutes of meaningful content into a full hour. There’s simply too much fluff, not enough stuff.
3. Star Power: The talented contestants must be applauded, as they’re doing their best on a difficult stage. But outside of Krystal (who’s quickly beginning to lose her identity), there isn’t a stand out, “must see” star. Don’t get us wrong – Lee is phenomenal, Mike is smooth and very likeable, Aaron is this year’s teen sensation, and Casey reminds us that the blues are still cool. But while there’s a very talented cast, the show lacks a stand out, unique star personality like they’ve had in past years. And one of the cornerstones of Media Positioning is talent development – we’re hoping for more personality definition to be brought to the surface, so their true star power can be seen.
We wish each contestant the best of luck and hope they have flourishing careers. Our advice for “American Idol” is to really shake it up next year, or risk damaging the franchise to the point it will be difficult to resurrect. Even if Simon weren’t leaving, they can’t afford to not evolve.
If you’d like to read more specifics about Tuesday night’s ratings, click here.
