Despite low ratings, Rock Star: INXS “may be a clever move” for the band

Rock Star: INXS isn’t the next American Idol. It’s not even the next Dancing with the Stars. Last week’s episode “continued its slide,” according to The Hollywood Reporter, which says only 4.3 million viewers tuned in on Wednesday.

But Billboard reports that INXS’ decision to find a new lead singer via the Mark Burnett CBS reality show “may be a clever move.” That’s because, “[o]n national TV, even poor ratings translate into invaluable exposure for an act trying to re-establish itself.”

When the show debuted, the number of copies of The Best of INXS that were sold “nearly tripled to more than 5,000, according to Nielsen SoundScan. That represents the album’s best week since its debut.” And now, “the band has a new record deal with Epic, thanks largely to the show.”

The show continues until Oct. 5, although last week, two performers were eliminated.