Correction: Entertainment Weekly is reporting higher figures than Mediaweek (those figures are probably the FOX average for the night, not for Idol):
Fox won the night, of course, with Idol (22.3 million, 7.6) once again showing considerable premiere-week retention, holding onto 97 percent of its rating from last Thursday. Bones (12.2 million, 3.9) followed.
According to TV By the Numbers, the ratings only dipped 3% vs. last Thursday’s 7.8 rating. But:
Thursdays for Idol are still taking a toll though, that was down 23 percent from the equivalent episode last year (Wednesday, January 20, 2010 from 8-9p) that had a 9.9 adults 18-49 rating. Wednesday night’s episode was only down 9% vs. the equivalent Tuesday a year earlier
Moving to Thursdays is turning out to be a real mixed bag for FOX.
Last night’s American Idol ratings via Mediaweek:
With 83 percent of CBS’ line-up in repeats, American Idol-ignited Fox scored a stellar Thursday victory, with an advantage over the No.2 network (Fox in total viewers, NBC among adults 18-49) of 7.60 million viewers and 132 percent among adults 18-49.
American Idol stood well above the competition, with 17.21 million viewers and a 5.8/15 among adults 18-49 from 8-9 p.m.
17.2 million viewers??? For an audition episode? WOW. That’s not good.
