'Idol' Finale Scores Huge Ratings
Reuters
Posted: 2008-05-22 16:21:12
LOS ANGELES (May 22) - The upset "American Idol"
victory by rock singer David Cook drew nearly 32 million U.S.
television viewers Wednesday night, up 3 percent from last
year's finale, Nielsen Media Research reported Thursday.
David Archuleta entered the Season 7 Grand Finale as the favorite to become the next 'American Idol' -- but in the end it was David Cook who came out on top of the David-vs.-David showdown, prevailing by a whopping 12 million votes.
M. Caulfield, WireImage.com
Confetti rains down on the top 12 contestants as they gather around Cook to congratulate him.
M. Caulfield, WireImage.com
Cook couldn't contain his shock. He was joined by his family onstage before taking his victory lap, singing the new single that will hit airwaves on Thursday, 'Time of My Life.'
M. Caulfield, WireImage.com
After Tuesday's performances, Archuleta was proclaimed the clear winner by knockout by none other than Simon Cowell. On Wednesday night, he admitted the competition was closer than he originally thought.
Michael Becker, Fox
The two-hour broadcast on News Corp's Fox network
marked the second-most-watched episode of the smash hit talent
contest this season, behind only the 33 million-plus viewers
who tuned in for the debut of the show's seventh installment in
January.
The Nielsens rally came after weeks of record low ratings.
And "American Idol" finished its latest run down year-to-year
for the season as a whole in both overall average audience size
and in ratings for viewers aged 18 to 49, the group most prized
by advertisers.
It was the second straight year of season-to-season
declines, though the finale's ratings could be adjusted when
the final Nielsen data comes in.
"Idol," which generally airs twice weekly, averaged about
28.1 million viewers per broadcast for the current season,
compared with 30.8 million at the height of show's popularity
in 2006. But it remains by the far the most watched show on
U.S. television.
The unexpected triumph of Cook, 25, who was tending bar and
playing in a band before he auditioned for the singing
competition, marked one of the more surprising outcomes of the
series.
His rival, 17-year-old David Archuleta, went from being the
contestant widely dubbed "The Chosen One" to runner-up after a
record 97.5 million votes were cast by fans of the show on
Tuesday night's final performance episode.
Carrie Underwood, 2005 American Idol winner, poses as she arrives at the finale of the American Idol television show in Los Angeles, California May 21, 2008. REUTERS/Fred Prouser (UNITED STATES)
Reuters
LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 21: Singer Carrie Underwood arrives at the American Idol Season 7 Grand Finale held at the Nokia Theatre on May 21, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Getty Images
LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 21: Singer Carrie Underwood arrives at the American Idol Season 7 Grand Finale held at the Nokia Theatre on May 21, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Getty Images
Carrie Underwood, 2005 American Idol winner, poses as she arrives at the finale of the American Idol television show in Los Angeles, California May 21, 2008. REUTERS/Fred Prouser (UNITED STATES)
Reuters
LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 21: Singer Carrie Underwood arrives at the American Idol Season 7 Grand Finale held at the Nokia Theatre on May 21, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Getty Images
LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 21: Singer Carrie Underwood arrives at the American Idol Season 7 Grand Finale held at the Nokia Theatre on May 21, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Getty Images
Former "American Idol" winner Carrie Underwood arrives at the "American Idol" finale in Los Angeles, Wednesday, May 21, 2008. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
AP
LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 21: Filmmaker Garry Marshall (R) arrives at the American Idol Season 7 Grand Finale held at the Nokia Theatre on May 21, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Getty Images
LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 21: TV personality Cat Deeley arrives at the American Idol Season 7 Grand Finale held at the Nokia Theatre on May 21, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Getty Images
LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 21: Former Idol contestant Constantine Maroulis arrives at the American Idol Season 7 Grand Finale held at the Nokia Theatre on May 21, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Getty Images
Copyright 2008 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
2008-05-22 16:00:48
