‘American Idol’ ABC premiere draws 10.3 million viewers
ABC's "American Idol" judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan with host Ryan Seacrest. Credit: ABC / Eric Liebowitz
“American Idol” had a solid return to network television Sunday night after a nearly two-year hiatus. The two-hour season opener was seen by 10.3 million viewers, according to figures provided by ABC.
That figure is roughly on par with the show’s final and 15th season on Fox, when it launched with about 11 million viewers, then fell to about 8 million during subsequent weeks, before closing out its historic run with 13.3 million viewers on April 7, 2016.
Meanwhile, “Idol” easily overwhelmed Fox’s attempt Sunday to blunt its launch with a “special” broadcast entitled “O.J. Simpson: The Lost Confession?,” which was based on a 12-year-old interview. The program was seen by 4.4 million viewers from 8 to 10 p.m.
Per ABC, the “Idol” launch delivered ABC’s largest audience on a Sunday night in four years. The network also said “Idol” was the most-viewed program of the night, in both total viewers and young adult viewers, on which advertisers base their commercial purchases.
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