The amateur pop singers of "American Idol" hit another ratings high note on Tuesday as Fox television’s talent-contest sensation scored its biggest audience yet for a performance episode of the show.
A whopping 33.2 million viewers tuned in to watch the remaining 11 finalists sing for a shot at a recording contract and instant fame during the two-hour broadcast, Nielsen Media Research reported on Wednesday.
That tally was nearly 2 million viewers higher than the combined Tuesday night average posted by all five competing networks. And it surpassed last week’s record audience for a performance episode on "American Idol," now in its fifth season.
The premiere show this season, featuring auditions by would-be contestants, drew a slightly bigger audience (35.5 million viewers). And the second-season finale in May 2003, when Ruben Studdard was crowned the winner, stands as the most watched of any "American Idol" episode (38.1 million viewers).
"Idol," airing on two or three nights a week this year, has grown into a gargantuan hit for Fox and dominated U.S. television in prime time, overshadowing the hottest series of rival networks and even big-event broadcasts like the Grammy Awards and Winter Olympics.
The new CBS commando drama "The Unit" managed a solid showing against the "Idol" in its third week on Tuesday, averaging 15.2 million viewers to rank as the night’s second most watched show in prime time. NBC’s "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" was third with 13.6 million viewers.
In the season to date, Walt Disney Co.-owned ABC is No. 1 in the ratings for viewers aged 18 to 49, the group most prized by advertisers. CBS and Fox, a unit of News Corp. Ltd., are tied for second place, trailed by NBC, which is owned by General Electric Co.