“The Voice” and “American Idol” stand as two titans of televised singing competitions, each with its own loyal fan base. While both shows share the goal of discovering musical talent, they differ significantly in their formats and judging criteria. But, what is the difference in the ratings?
“American Idol,” which premiered in 2002, is a pioneer in the genre, known for its rigorous audition process and star-studded judging panel. The show has always put an emphasis on the idea of the “whole package,” including image and personality besides just the music, to discover the new superstar, with some of the best singers coming out of American Idol.
On the other hand, “The Voice,” which debuted in 2011, introduced a fresh take on the traditional singing competition format with its innovative blind audition concept, which focuses solely on vocal talent during the initial rounds. With this approach, there are several famous singers coming out of The Voice. So, here’s a deep dive on the ratings of both shows, and their popularity.
Who has the better ratings: The Voice or American Idol?
In the past few years, in general, The Voice has had better ratings that American Idol. However, they are pretty similar. Per tvseriesfinale.com, in 2023, The Voice averaged 6.237 million viewers on Mondays and 5.947 million viewers on Tuesdays.
Meanwhile, Season 21 of American Idol, according to the same source, averaged 5.353 million viewers on Sundays, and 4.375 million viewers Mondays. However, per ABC, the penultimate episode of the season was the show’s high in total viewers (7.9 million).
The Voice 2024: Ratings
During Season 25 of The Voice, the show has averaged 4.97 million viewers so far. Season’s finale is scheduled for Tuesday, May 21. The final episode, tipically, is one with the most viewers, alongside the premiere.
| Episode | Date | Rating (18-49) | Viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premiere | February 26, 2024 | 0.5 | 6.33 |
| The Blind Auditions, Part 2 | February 27, 2024 | 0.4 | 5.28 |
| The Blind Auditions, Part 3 | March 4, 2024 | 0.5 | 5.83 |
| The Blind Auditions, Part 4 | March 5, 2024 | 0.3 | 3.95 |
| The Blind Auditions, Part 5 | March 11, 2024 | 0.5 | 6.11 |
| The Blind Auditions, Part 6 | March 12, 2024 | 0.4 | 4.42 |
| The Battles Premiere | March 18, 2024 | 0.5 | 6.23 |
| The Battles, Part 2 | March 19, 2024 | 0.3 | 4.36 |
| The Battles, Part 3 | March 25, 2024 | 0.4 | 5.34 |
| The Battles, Part 4 | March 26, 2024 | 0.4 | 4.32 |
| Best of Blinds / Battles | April 1, 2024 | 0.3 | 3.17 |
| The Knockouts Premiere | April 8, 2024 | 0.4 | 5.03 |
| The Knockouts Part 2 | April 15, 2024 | 0.4 | 4.77 |
| Playoffs Premiere | April 22, 2024 | 0.4 | 4.77 |
| Playoffs Part 2 | April 29, 2024 | 0.3 | 4.64 |
| Live Top 12 Performances | May 6, 2024 | TBD | TBD |
| Live Top 12 Results | May 7, 2024 | TBD | TBD |
| Live Semi-Final Performances | May 13, 2024 | TBD | TBD |
| Live Semi-Final Results | May 14, 2024 | TBD | TBD |
| Live Final Performances | May 20, 2024 | TBD | TBD |
| Live – Big Finale | May 21, 2024 | TBD | TBD |
American Idol 2024: Ratings
Meanwhile, American Idol in 2024 has averaged 3,8 million viewers during its first 15 episodes. As we said with The Voice, the finale will be a test for the show. Especially as it won’t be competing directly with The Voice.
| Episode | Date | Rating/Share (18-49) | Total Viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auditions, Part 1 | February 18, 2024 | 0.6/6 | 4.62 |
| Auditions, Part 2 | February 25, 2024 | 0.6/6 | 4.79 |
| Auditions, Part 3 | March 3, 2024 | 0.6/7 | 5.11 |
| Auditions, Part 4 | March 17, 2024 | 0.5/6 | 4.79 |
| Auditions, Part 5 | March 24, 2024 | 0.4/4 | 4.25 |
| Hollywood Week – Idol Arena | March 31, 2024 | 0.6/6 | 4.40 |
| Showstopper/Final Judgment | April 1, 2024 | 0.4/4 | 3.88 |
| Top 24 – Part 1 | April 7, 2024 | 0.5/5 | 4.36 |
| Top 24 – Part 2 | April 8, 2024 | 0.5/5 | 4.15 |
| Top 20 | April 14, 2024 | 0.5/6 | 4.24 |
| Top 14 Reveal | April 15, 2024 | 0.4/4 | 3.94 |
| Rock & Roll Hall of Fame | April 21, 2024 | 0.5/5 | 5.13 |
| Billboard #1 Hits | April 22, 2024 | 0.4/4 | 4.16 |
| Top 10 | April 28, 2024 | 0.6/7 | 5.31 |
| Judge’s Song Contest | April 29, 2024 | 0.5/5 | 4.62 |
| Adele Night | May 5, 2024 | TBD | TBD |
| Disney Night | May 12, 2024 | TBD | TBD |
| Grand Finale | May 19, 2024 | TBD | TBD |
Which show is more popular: American Idol or The Voice?
Apart from the ratings, there are other ways to measure the popularity of the shows. And one is social media. While The Voice has been praised for their digital strategy, it seems like the most-talked about show is actually American Idol.
At least, in 2023. According to Talkwalker Social Content Ratings, the ABC reality TV juggernaut was the number one social media premiere. But when it comes to followers, The Voice is still winning: their Youtube channel has 9,15 million suscribers compared to American Idol’s 3,62 million.
Ultimately, whether you prefer the glitz and glamour of “American Idol” or the innovative approach of “The Voice,” one thing is certain: both shows continue to fascinate audiences with their memorable performances.