Sunday Ratings: The Voice Gets Bragging Rights (37M+ Viewers) (UPDATED)

In a way Madonna also is to be thanked for this. Prognosticators on the morning shows said she brought a lot of people to the TV who normally don’t watch the Super Bowl. Said people were also more likely to stick arond for The Voice they said.

It’s only because of the superbowl – People were too lazy to change the channel and turn the TV off.  It will have bad ratings next week :)

A woman sitting on her sofa reading the phone book would do blockbuster ratings following the SB. It isn’t a good comparison to make at this time.

IDOL premiered this season to a 7.4 adults 18-49 rating, and 21.9 million viewers.

That’s the number The Voice has to beat TONIGHT (the actual 2-hour season premiere) in order to get those bragging rights.

Let’s see if they can do it. Something tells me, it isn’t going to happen.

I think those prognosticators are crazy.  The Super Bowl draws more than 90 million people just in the US alone.  I’m sure that some people tuned in to see Madonna, but she was on screen for less than twenty minutes, and was gone long before The Voice premiered.  

Wow…congrats to the Voice. Adam’s American Idol diss is coming in 3…2…1…

I agree the ratings will drop next week, but I wouldnt be shocked if they still come in around what Idol is currently pulling in. I dont think the numbers will be “bad”, just not 30 million viewers obviously.

I think those numbers are great. They got a lot of people to check out at least part of the show and that was the goal.

Good luck tonight! I want them to do well so Smash can get a decent lead in.

in the immortal words of Flavor Flav, “Yeah Boy!”

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good for The Voice.  Quite frankly,  I can’t picture many Super Bowl fans sticking around for The Voice.  Most of the people that I know who watched it were at Super Bowl parties or at a sports bar so they could share the experience with friends.

Good for them! The Voice is a fun show, we’ll see how they do tonight. If they can keep at least half of their premiere audience that would be a great start for this season. 

That would be a huge accomplishment, being able to pull in what Idol is currently doing. The ratings for The Voice last season were not close to Idol.

Perhaps the better comparison or the better goal for The Voice would be pulling in similar numbers to X-Factor. If they can achieve X-Factor numbers, that’s huge.

A woman sitting on her sofa reading the phone book would do blockbuster ratings following the SB. It isn’t a good comparison to make at this time.

IDOL premiered this season to a 7.4 adults 18-49 rating, and 21.9 million viewers.

That’s the number The Voice has to beat TONIGHT (the actual 2-hour season premiere) in order to get those bragging rights. 

Let’s see if they can do it. Something tells me, it isn’t going to happen.

It’s not a great comparison, considering that Glee had already received a lot of media attention, and built up a loyal audience, but they drew over 20 million after last year’s Super Bowl, but I don’t think they came anywhere near 20 million for the rest of their season.

Right. That’s why I hold very little stock in how any show does following the biggest sporting event on television. The audience has to stick around for the episodes that follow.

As you said, Glee wasn’t so lucky. They did great numbers following the game but went back to just above-average numbers for the remainder of the season.

More than likely, The Voice will follow that same pattern. I’m just wondering how they will do as compared to last season and how they will do against the other singing shows out there.

If I had to bet… Idol will still be number 1 and The Voice and X-Factor will be the two shows battling it out to see which ends up in second place.

Of course it’s going to get superb ratings. It had a lead in of over a 100 million viewers. Yes, the real test will be tonight & next week. How well do they hold 30+ million viewers (drop expected, as it would any show following the SB). I mean really…they could have aired ‘Whitney’ & would have gotten amazing ratings (and that’s a show that averages like a 1.3)

But of course….most people will ignore this fact and talk about how it destroyed American idol (and XF, but nobody cares about that). Think people!

I thought the The Voice had a higher overall average than XF last year?

I don’t think The Voice will beat Idol this year but I could see them making significant strides in Idol’s direction (like ratings in the upper 4s and low 5s in the demo.)

I think they will do well in auditions but as before, their challenge will be the battle rounds. Lets see if/how they revamped that section of the show. That’s where they started losing people last year I think.

ETA: Oh and I forgot they have to go up against Dancing With The Stars at some point. I don’t think that show will hurt them in the demo however.

Just wondering, are the superbowl lead ins usually adjusted up or down? They said the voice would likely be adjusted later.

Good for The Voice. Of course the ratings will drop way off now that they don’t have the Super Bowl as a lead-in, but it’s still a sign that the show has a lot of interest and might possibly maybe be able to improve on its ratings from last season

One of the worst shows ever put on tv in the last ten years was Hey, Paula (she would probably agree).  If that was put on after the SuperBowl, it would have got 30 million viewers.

Voice will win the the ratings week.  However it’s not about the one night stand, it’s about the longevity.  Idol starts it’s Hollywood week (with people passing out, falling down and throwing up this year), which will see a ratings increase over the auditions.  Then very soon the people will have the vote, which will increase ratings more.

Voice is a better Idol alternative than XF, and will probably have a better chance in having a season three than XF.  But Voice is not, and never will be, as popular as or a cultural phenom as Idol. Idol is ‘mostly’ not about a pro/semi-pro getting a second, third or fourth chance at stardom, or being put in some loud, bombastic stage where it doesn’t matter what you do, it’s all about how the judges look.  Idol is a show about a nobody who has a chance to become a somebody.

At the big professional sporting events, who do you see from the singing competitions shows singing the anthems 99.9% of the time.  Idol alums; whether they won or not.  And who rocked the National Anthem last night, Kelly Clarkson; and she won Idol a bloody 11 years ago.  Just like the head of the Fox network said, Idol is “…the gold standard.”

Retaining just 30 million viewers out of 110 million viewers is not THAT great.  It’s all about perspective.  

Absolutely…and considering that no other station was dumb enough to waste Broadcast time on a first run program (re-run central last night) The Voice had the pickings all to themselves.

Sometimes I think this after Super Bowl slot is a mega double edged sword.  If The Voice doesn’t win their time slot consistently and if their numbers diminish considerably over the next few weeks they let themselves open for lots of negative press.  Now if they succeed in hanging on to their viewers and becoming a top rated show week in and week out then they will have won the war and the battle.  I have my doubts.

It’s the superbowl though…. yeah, bragging rights are in order, but anything less than 25mil would have been disappointing.

I don’t think anyone associated with the Voice is dumb or arrogant enough to believe that the great ratings were due to their show. They know the slot after the SB is a gift. The key is to grab the attention of enough of those people who forgot to change the channel and get them to tune in again.

They put on a pretty compelling first episode IMO. There was a variety in the genres of singers. There was lots of interplay between the coaches. There was the awkward backstage reunion of the former MMC castmates. And every coach landed at least one singer.

The widely popular Glee didnt get 30 million following the Superbowl so I think its a bit of an overestimation to say even the worst show would get that kind of numbers.

And honestly? I love AI, but I enjoyed The Voice more last night than I’ve enjoyed AI since season 11 started. I like the judges way more. I’m more anxious to keep watching this.

You just have to look at how some other shows fared after the Super Bowl:
2011: Glee:  26.8  (Fox)   – GB/Pit
2010:  Undercover Boss:  38.6 (CBS) – Ind/NO
2009: The Office:  22.9 (NBC) – Pit/Ariz
2008:  House:  29.0 (Fox) – NY/NE

The record belongs to Survivor 2, in 2001 at 45.4
In 1990, NBC debuted a show called “Grand Slam” – which drew huge Super Bowl ratings….and was off the schedule within weeks.

I’m with you Trina, I enjoyed The Voice last night more than any episode of Idol this year and maybe last year. I’m over all three of the Idol judges, completely over. I like all four of the Voice judges a lot. I also like the higher level of talent, I like that they are upfront about finding experienced contestants.

“…I enjoyed The Voice more last night than I’ve enjoyed AI since season 11 started. I like the judges way more. “

The ratings are nice for bragging rights – now the show has to learn to maintain, and better than they did last time. The Voice is more like XF than it is anything like Idol – and both have problems in that area. IMO.

Trina, maybe you have hit on the answer to Cowell’s Dilemma. At least, a working theory? The Voice and the XF are both about which judges win, and they aren’t shy about saying so – Cowell doesn’t need bigger, more expensive celebrities, he ought to be looking for judges the audience will ‘like’ better, so they will care which judge wins. Check their Q rating? *wink*

If Idol differentiates by focusing on the contestants (and having the infrastructure in place to support winners after the fact) then they have to expect a slow burn, since the audiences don’t “know” the contestants yet – not like they already know the judges. People investing in the contestants, not the judges, is what gives it the ability to build.

But Idol is not the only game (show) in town. Each show will appeal to people looking for their preferred mode of entertainment.

JMO.

I think it’s easy for that to happen because the auditions are the best part of the voice while auditions are the worst part of idol. So I have to give the auditions advantage to the voice.

But Battle Rounds vs. Hollywood week? Idol hands down.

Live rounds/Overall talent? Idol.

I’ll still never watch the Voice. 

Also, people are talking about how much better the judges are, but what happens when they go back to their cheerleading for the live shows?

Here are some more stats from tvbythenumbers.

The Voice’s 18-49 Rating is Best Post-Super Bowl Telecast Since 2006

The 18-49 numbers were the best in 6 years, though the 37.6 million viewers still trail Undercover Boss’ 38.7 million 2 years ago.

The season 2 premiere of “The Voice” (16.3 rating in adults 18-49 and 37.611 million  viewers overall) scored the highest rating for an entertainment telecast on any net in six years since the post-Super Bowl telecast of “Grey’s Anatomy” on February 5, 2006 (16.5).
 

“The Voice” is up +47% in 18-49 rating and +40% in total viewers versus Fox’s “Glee” in 2011 on Super Bowl night (11.1 in 18-49 rating, 26.806 million viewers overall).  Versus two years ago, “The Voice is up +1% versus CBS’s “Undercover Boss” on Super Bowl night in adults 18-49 (16.2 in 18-49).

In total viewers, “The Voice” marks NBC’s best post-Super Bowl program since Friends on January 28, 1996 (52.9 million).

The 16.3 adult 18-49 rating and 37.611 million P2+ viewers
for the season 2 premiere of The Voice accounted for NBC’s top results
for an entertainment telecast since the Friends finale on Thursday, May
6, 2004 from 9-10:06pm (24.9 in 18-49, 52.5 million viewers overall).

The 16.3 18-49 rating for “The Voice” marks a series high for the
show, up +186% versus its previous series high for week 2 of the show on
Tuesday, May 3, 2011 (5.7 A18-49 rating, 9-11 p.m.).

‘The Voice’s” 37.611 million total viewers were +161% above its
previous series high in on Tuesday, May 31, 2011 from 10-11pm (14.405
million), following the season premiere of “America’s Got Talent.”

In 7-11 p.m. primetime averages, NBC delivered a 36.3 rating in
adults18-49 and 97.7 million viewers overall, for the highest rated
night on NBC in 18-49 since Sunday January, 28, 1996.

It’s NBC’s best night in total viewers in the history of people meters.

 More about last night’s ratings:

The Voice’s 18-49 Rating is Best Post-Super Bowl Telecast Since 2006

Time zone adjusted ratings:

time zone adjusted numbers for The Voice are in – 37.6 million viewers and a 16.3 adults 18-49 rating

Link

The Voice’s 18-49 Rating is Best Post-Super Bowl Telecast Since 2006

The Voice is so, so, so much better than X Factor. I hope as the season progresses it ends up getting the same sort of ratings that Idol is. I enjoy both shows and wish for them both to succeed!

I’m not a Voice hater, but the week after the Super Bowl ratings for these shows 

2011: Glee:  26.8  (Fox)   – GB/Pit2010:  Undercover Boss:  38.6 (CBS) – Ind/NO2009: The Office:  22.9 (NBC) – Pit/Ariz2008:  House:  29.0 (Fox) – NY/NE

tells me that the show won’t be getting 37 million viewers tonight or next week.

That’s pretty impressive.  It will be very interesting to see how many of those viewers tune into the show tonight.

Yeah, Undercover Boss had a huge premiere like the Voice, but went back down to 15.45 million the next episode and a 5.2 demo rating. I think tonight’s ratings will look great for the Voice which will give them another week of bragging rights, but I think as the weeks go by it will start to go down again.

Even if it holds HALF of that rating, it would likely crush Idol in the demo (but not in overall viewers).

What show should CBS lead out Super Bowl XLVII with next year? I’d go with The Big Bang Theory and try to get a super-high rated episode, like 40M

wait… kelly clarkson is guest-mentoring on… “The Voice.” 

I think everyone pretty much knows that.

It is still a nice start and the goal was to pick up more viewers than it had last year. Where it goes from here comes down to a myriad of factors that are impossible to predict. It was an enjoyable season premiere and it might just catch on with more viewers, or it might not. There really is no way to know what the outcome will be at this point.  

Wow. I think everything went as well as it could go for NBC.

First, they not only get 2 teams from huge markets in the Superbowl, they get teams with a history between them guaranteeing more viewers.

Then, the teams actually put on good game. It was suspenseful up to the last second and it didn’t drag on overly long, pretty much assuring that as many people as possible would stick it out to the very end.

And finally, they just happen to have the perfect show to put after it… a new show that got a lot of positive buzz the first time around, starring very well known figures, with potential for mass appeal and room for improvement in the ratings department. There is probably a high curiosity factor surrounding The Voice, and this gave people an excuse to check it out.

NBC has to be celebrating right now. If they can get a good launch for Smash tonight, then they will have accomplished everything they set out to do as far as promoting those 2 shows.

I havent seen anyone say the ratings will stay as high as they were this week. But I said I wouldnt be surprised to see it keep good ratings, of course what some see as good is subjective.

Also, people are talking about how much better the judges are, but what happens when they go back to their cheerleading for the live shows? 

 
No problem, I’ll hit mute and drool over Adam and Blake. I find looking at them more enjoyable than listening to Randy and Steven.

It’ll be interesting to see how much of the audience comes back tonight for TV.
Is it on tomorrow as well or just one night a week? I’m out of the loop.;0
I’m not sure NBC benefits unless TV and Smash do well over the season and help the entire network. Most nights NBC is getting beat in the ratings by a Spanish cable channel. Yes, it’s that bad.

Yeah it will just be tonight and will be one day a week until live shows. It will be interesting to see how it does against the CBS comedy block.

In a way Madonna also is to be thanked for this. Prognosticators on the morning shows said she brought a lot of people to the TV who normally don’t watch the Super Bowl.

It was only up .3 from last year.  That’s not a big spike in viewers for the Material Girl IMO. 

madonna has nothing to do with the reason why this year bowl was the most watch..every year the Super Bowl gets a bigger audience than the previous 

What’s going to be interesting is to see if The Voice kills Idols ratings this Wed/Thurs

No actually. Last year Glee was post SB and this year the Voice increased that time slot viewership by 27% (oh wait! MJ said 47%!!) from the post show of 2011. And since it was the highest rating post SB show since 2006, your argument has holes. Sorry…the Voice is sinking Idol. Idol is boring. Randy needs to retire. The mentors on The Voice are current and are not tired has-beens.

Now it’s about keeping the asses in the season going forward.  If you don’t maintain at least a small portion of that audience above what last season’s average was that will be a talking point as well.  So they better be measured in their crowing.  

I actually enjoyed watching The Voice and it held my attention, unlike the crappy start to Idol 11. The mentors are fun and don’t take themselves serisouly. Idol is not likely to pick up steam soon given the boring auditions. The Voice is on fire!

The Voice put on a good episode last night.  Had to laugh at Christina gunning for Adam, who is getting annoying already with his “last year winner” schtick.  I hope the ratings stay up as I really enjoy that show.  I said I wouldnt watch xfactor because Im so over Simon, but I finally did.  Now I can say with some authority, I don’t like that show and still am over Simon lol. 

How many Idol episodes topped 37.6M as well?

The Voice is not “sinking idol.” Just look at the sales-Javier sold 10K the first week while Scotty sold 197K. Even James Durbin sold more than the top 4 combined.

And Christina is definitely a “Has been” while Maroon 5 was on its way out until the voice revived Adam’s career.

The mentors are fun and [b]don’t take themselves serisouly.[/b]

Adam and Christina definitely do.

Idol is not likely to pick up seam soon given the boring auditions.

But Hollywood can change everything. Spoilers say a lot of them killed it.

Go “The Voice”!!!. I hope this show gets better and better. I like the judges and the show. I find it much more entertaining than Idol. “The Voice” and “The X-Factor” gives me what Idol doesn’t which are shows with real stage spectacle and some real talent and performers.

I watched The Voice last night after SB.  The Voice was fun to watch and it engages you.  Whereas, XF to me looked phony and not real.  I love AI but why is it so boring this season and too long.  Love AI contestants better The Voice though.  I didn’t like anyone on The Voice last night.  The show is entertaining for sure.  I don’t know if I’ll be able to watch it tonight.  Have a lot of things to take care of.  I’ll DVR it to watch it later.  

Maroon 5 was on it’s way out the door before the Voice? Please! “Misery” was a huge hit right before this show started.

Their album debuted in 2010 with 142,000 copies compared to 429,000 of their previous album. They were frustrated over the lower sales. I think The Voice helped the sales.

Misery wasn’t a huge hit.  It’s sales lagged behind its airplay, but the bigger problem was that the album was not selling at the rate of their previous albums (or at the rate that it did after the release of Move Like Jagger.)  Before Moves Like Jagger they released two other songs from Hands All Over that flopped, Give a Little More and Never Gonna Leave This Bed.

I think the better question would be “How many idol episodes have premiered immediately following the superbowl?”

And Christina is definitely a “Has been” while Maroon 5 was on its way out until the voice revived Adam’s career.

How is this any different than Jlo or Steven Tyler? AI has definitely helped both of their careers!

Idol-Shmidol— Idol has also had 10 more seasons of marketing over the Voice with one season behind them. Idol has the name recognition. Unfortunately, it also still has Randy…

That would surprise me as overall, none of those who made it to top 24 (spoilers!) really impressed me. Well, one dude is a lock and one of the girls seemed pretty good…but since another dude will probably win again…she doesn’t matter. It remains to be seen…

Let’s compare XTina and Adam to Randy and Tyler….hmmmmm..and the has-beens are?

Adam is talented, hot and relevant. Randy is stupid, inane, and tries to be a ‘hard ass’. He is boring and tired just like the show is quickly becoming.

Hypothetical question: if American Idol, in its glory days, aired right after the Super Bowl, I wonder what the ratings would have been? (It could have in Seasons 4 or 7)

The ratings might have been tremendous but that doesn’t mean all those people liked the show and will continue watching it.  The comments on our Channel 9 news chat were very negative, especially about Christina.

I think the numbers are respectable, especially considering that The Voice didn’t air until 10:30 p.m. on the east coast.

seems like season 5 averaged about 35-40million weekly didn’t they?  amazing numbers.  tonight will probably be the biggest decline in history for a show within a 24 hour period.  LOL 

anyone out there around when MASH finale ran?  I must me the only person alive then who didn’t watch it.  Seinfeld finale, yes.  MASH no.

well, i’m not surprised if it even hit 100 mil viewers coz it’s just right behind Super Bow.  the real test is tonite show or next week. 

I know, but the person was saying that that’s all that idol has as judges-I was just pointing out that the voice has those also.

Well, I’m glad I don’t watch for the judges :)