‘American Idol’ Premiere Ratings Fall 9% From Last Year

The season eight premiere of ‘American Idol’ drew 30.1 million total viewers on Tuesday night from 8 to 10 p.m., according to Nielsen overnights, a drop of 9% from last season’s premiere. It still was good enough to make it the most-watched non-sports show of the season with 33.2 million people tuning in. Among adults 18-49, the show grabbed an 11.6 rating, down 16 percent from last year’s 13.8. The 2-hour premiere peaked with a 13.1 rating and 32.6 million total viewers at 9:30 p.m.