"Tuesday's debut was seen by an estimated 33.2 million viewers, down 11 percent from the 37.4 million who watched the first show, according to preliminary ratings by Nielsen Media Research."
http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/TV/01/16/tv.americanidol.ap/index.html

Just under the 2006 Season 5 premiere ratings.

We'll see how it goes as the season progresses.

Still with this downturn it is still the most watched non-sports show of the 2007-2008 season.

• More details,SurvivorBlows, 04:11 PM, 01-16-08
  • RE: More details,Snidget, 04:12 PM, 01-16-08
  • Live + Same Day national data,SurvivorBlows, 05:02 PM, 01-16-08
• RE: Season Seven Ratings,Estee, 04:58 PM, 01-16-08

LAST EDITED ON 01-16-08 AT 05:07 PM (EST)

Actually, it was just under Season 4, not Season 5 (Season 5 wasn't as close) based on preliminary fast national ratings:

http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/ratings-american-idol-seventh-season-debuts-huge-but-down-bit-6401.php

Things could change a little when the Live + Same Day national data comes out later today, but I don't think there will be any way to do an absolutely pure apples-to-apples comparision of those numbers to all of the earlier seasons -- I think Nielsen only "created" the Live + Same Day national data that includes same-night DVR viewing a year or so ago (although DVR usage is certainly more commonplace now than then, I don't think Nielsen's same-day national numbers counted DVR usage before that). Then again, Idol is probably the type of show most folks are still going to want to watch live.

For whatever it's worth, there wasn't much difference between the Season 4's preliminary fast national ratings and the national numbers back in January 2005 -- prelim was 33.5 million viewers and a 14.0/33 in Adults 18-49 and national was 33.6 million and a 14.0/33 in Adults 18-49. Today's Reality TV World report used the earlier seasons' preliminary fast national numbers to keep all the comparisons the same.

I must have translate the years to the seasons wrong. Thanks for clearing it up.

Adults 18-49 stayed 13.8/32 in the the Live + Same Day national data. Total viewers got bumped from 33.2 to 33.4 million, leaving it only 100,000 viewers behind Season 4's national data number.

It was probably forty million before James showed up.