between 10 and 20+ percent of FOX’s weekly schedule is American Idol 3.
The 41 or so hours of American Idol that FOX is running this spring consumes 10 percent of the network’s schedule on normal weeks, and more than 20 percent during weeks with special episodes. Among lusted-after viewers 18 to 49, “Fox is just one-tenth of a rating point behind the perennial leader among younger viewers, NBC,” the New York Times reports. The show also made FOX about $100 million last season. A FOX exec said they’re not guilty of overkill: “We are doing about the same number of hours of the show as last season. And we’re not doing ‘Average Joe Idol’ or ‘For Love of Idol’ as certain other networks executives I know would have done. This show is a precious gem we feel can be a player for us for years to come.”