AMERICAN IDOL concluded its competition with a bang, as more than 30 million viewers tuned in to the season-ending finale. The audience, which included including 1.65 million U.S. Hispanics, watched and applauded the crowning of singer David Cook as American Idol for 2008.
Judges raved over the performances of David Cook and, in particular, David Archuleta's rendition of Elton John's pop classic "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me." Both Davids are now set to launch their careers with powerhouse CDs, which if past winners are any guide, should sell over one million copies each. Cook has already set the tabloids talking by dating former Idol contestant Kimberly Caldwell.
DANCING WITH THE STARS followed American Idol as the most-watched English-language program. Stars grabbed the second- and fourth-place spots in this week's top-ten most-viewed TV shows for the week of May 19-25, 2008, according to numbers released by the Nielsen Media Group.
The season finale of UGLY BETTY also broke into the top 10, as 582,000 viewers tuned in to watch Betty (America Ferrera) return to her high school and confront her old nemesis Kimberly, played by star Lindsay Lohan. Lohan is scheduled to reappear in next season's Ugly Betty to add more outlandish trials and tribulations to Betty's life.
HOUSE, in rejoining Fox's Monday night line-up, also has been pulling in strong numbers, with an audience of 799,000 Hispanic viewers.
Among Spanish-language programs, the Univision soap opera AL DIABLO CON LOS GUAPOS (TO THE DEVIL WITH THE BEAUTIFUL) claimed the honor of being number one. Running each weekday night from 8 to 9 pm, Al Diablo drew an average 4.7 million viewers for a 21.1 rating.
Second in the ratings was another Univision soap opera FUEGO EN LA SANGRE (BURNING FOR REVENGE), while Univision's other big nightly telenovela AMO JUAN QUERENDON (I LOVE JUAN QUERENDON) came in at sixth-most-watched program. The two hour-long shows, like all Unvision's telenovelas, are produced and broadcast in Mexico by the Televisa network.
Univision broadcast all 10 of the top-rated Spanish-language shows, and its high ratings helped make it a strong competitor for Fox, ABC, CBS, and NBC. Univision boasts that in 2007 its rating among adults 18 to 49 were higher than any other network on 55 nights. The network dominates the Spanish-language market in the United States and claims a special relation to its viewers; over 50 percent of Univision viewers watch only Univision programming, representing an impressively high level of loyalty to one network.
The following lists are TV ratings based on Hispanic viewership. Nielsen's ratings include viewers who watched the program while it aired and those who viewed the shows via digital video recorder within 24 hours of their airing. Nielsen says that the Hispanic TV audience represents more than 11.63 million television households in the United States. The rating is the percentage of households watching a TV program out of the potential audience of 11.63 million households.
Top 10 English-language shows and ratings (May 19 -25, 2008)
1. American Idol – Wednesday (Fox) 8.3
2. Dancing With Stars – Results – Tuesday (ABC) 7.4
3. American Idol – Tuesday (Fox) 6.5
4. Dancing With Stars – Monday (ABC) 5.5
5. Grey's Anatomy – Thursday (ABC) 5.2
6. House – Monday (Fox) 4.2
7. Friday Night Smackdown – Friday (CW) 4.0
7. Ugly Betty – Saturday (ABC) 4.0
9. CSI: Miami – Monday (CBS) 3.7
9 Hell's Kitchen – Thursday (ABC) 3.7
Top 10 Spanish-language shows and their ratings (May 19-25, 2008)
1. Al Diablo con Guapos – Five-Night Avg. (Univision) 21.4
2. Fuego En La Sangre – Five-Night Avg. (Univision) 18.2
3. Aqui Y Ahora – Tuesday (Univision) 17.3
4. Don Francisco Presenta – Wednesday (Univision) 17.1
5. Cristina – Monday (Univision) 14.6
6. Yo Amo Juan Querendon – Five-Night Avg. (Univision) 13.8
7. Amas Casa Desesperads – Thursday (Univision) 12.2
8. Sabado Gigante – Saturday (Univision) 11.1
9. Nuestra Belleza – Sunday (Univision) 8.5
10. Familia P. Luche – Sunday (Univision) 8.0
