On Wednesday night, Lee De Wyze’s win, and judge Simon Cowell’s ultimate farewell, won 23.15m between 8pm and 10pm.
However, the figures represent the show’s least-watched finale since its opening season in 2002, and an approximate 4.4m drop on last year’s audience. Furthermore, the talent contest’s 8.2 rating with adults 18-49 was its lowest ever. Nevertheless, Idol still saw off competition and was primetime’s most-watched program.
Elsewhere, the fifth season of Criminal Minds finished with 12.81m on CBS in the 9pm hour, signalling only a modest 300k drop in the face of heavy competition. At 10pm, CSI: NY climbed 600k to reach a slot-winning 11.9m for its respective sixth season close. Earlier at 8pm, a repeat of this year’s Superbowl lead-out – Undercover Boss – fetched 6.13m.
On NBC, a double bill of Minute To Win It repeats at 8pm and 9pm could only muster 3.29m and 2.64m, after which a rerun of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit scored 3.86m.
Meanwhile, ABC’s movie Transformers took 4.81m between 8pm and 11pm, while 1.38m tuned in for two America’s Next Top Model catch-ups on The CW for two hours from 8pm.