Overall Ratings Summary
Since the show began, its ratings have been very high, ranging from 9 million viewers to as many as 16 million viewers, generally averaging around 12 million viewers. The show has also ranked high in the 18-49 demographic, usually rating anywhere from as low as 2.0 to as high as 4.6 throughout its run. Average ratings have been around 3.0-3.9 for most seasons. Audition shows and performance shows rate higher on average than results shows.
Although the show's ratings have been high, NBC has chosen not to place the show as a competitor in the fall or spring seasons for various reasons. A brief run by the show in the fall in 2008, which was due to NBC's coverage of the 2008 Summer Olympics, proved to be underwhelming, with the series averaging only around 10 million viewers, and the finale down significantly from the previous year. During the first weeks of the fall season in 2009, however, a results show of America's Got Talent performed well against the season premiere of So You Think You Can Dance and the highly-promoted world premiere of Glee, posting 9.7 million viewers, compared to only 6.5 million viewers for So You Think You Can Dance and 7.1 million viewers for Glee. However, So You Think You Can Dance delivered poorly in the fall, which was likely a factor in NBC's decision to keep America's Got Talent in the summer.
The highest rated season in overall viewers to date is season four. The most-watched episode has been the finale of season five, with 16.41 million viewers. The series premiere, and an episode featuring the first part of Las Vegas Week in season six, have each tied for highest rating among adults 18–49, both having a 4.6 rating.
The show is rated TV-PG.
| Season | Timeslot (EDT) | Season premiere | Premiere viewers |
Season finale | Finale viewers |
TV season | Rank | Season average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | June 21, 2006 | 12.41 | August 17, 2006 | 12.05 | 2006 | #1 | 10.00 | |
| 2 | June 5, 2007 | 12.93 | August 21, 2007 | 13.87 | 2007 | #1 | 12.00 | |
| 3 | June 17, 2008 | 12.80 | October 1, 2008 | 12.55 | 2008 | #1 | 11.38 | |
| 4 | June 23, 2009 | 11.30 | September 16, 2009 | 15.53 | 2009 | #1 | 11.91 | |
| 5 | June 1, 2010 | 12.35 | September 15, 2010 | 16.41 | 2010 | #1 | 11.02 | |
| 6 | May 31, 2011 | 15.28 | September 14, 2011 | 14.37 | 2011 | #1 | 11.82 | |
| 7 | May 14, 2012 | 10.48 | September 13, 2012 | 10.59 | 2012 | To be announced | 10.02 |
Read more about this topic: America's Got Talent
Famous quotes containing the word summary:
“I have simplified my politics into an utter detestation of all existing governments; and, as it is the shortest and most agreeable and summary feeling imaginable, the first moment of an universal republic would convert me into an advocate for single and uncontradicted despotism. The fact is, riches are power, and poverty is slavery all over the earth, and one sort of establishment is no better, nor worse, for a people than another.”
—George Gordon Noel Byron (1788–1824)