About American Idol

American Idol is a top-rated FOX television show that draws on a wide talent pool and audience voting to shape the show.

Description of user contribution system

American Idol has used user contribution to redefine the production of television shows.  Traditionally, FOX (and other networks) bear

the cost and risk of producing content for the show.  Often this includes high fixed costs, with a lot of risk around the success of the show.  Historically, television shows have been assembled by expert teams of full-time writers, producers, and actors (to name a few).

American Idol has shifted much of the work associated with producing a television show from professionals to amateur performers and audience members. Users contribute to many aspects of the production:

• Amateur singers provide the entertainment (auditions held around the country to find best - and sometimes worst - singers)
• Audience votes for their favorite performers (using SMS voting)
• The life stories behind each singer constitute a substantial part of the show’s entertainment value, and are drawn from the performer’s experiences

Benefits for the users

Entertainment:

• By playing a part in determining who stays on the show, viewers are engaged and entertained than if winners were chosen by judges

Ownership and engagement: 

• The audience really becomes part of the show and feels a degree of ownership in the outcomes

Benefits for the creators of the system

Benefits to Company:

• Top ratings: The high level of engagement viewers feel with the show helps keep ratings strong (the show has ranked in the top 3 most popular since 2004).
• Access to top talent: Production company has right of first refusal to any AI participant
• After a contestant wins, profit from the AI “ecosystem”: because the finalists build a fan base over the course of the show, the show’s producers help ensure that any recordings, films, or other ventures will be successful

History of the idea

A detailed history of the television show is included in the wikipedia entry.

Scale

American Idol has run for 7 seasons so far, ranking No. 1 in adult viewers aged 18-49 for the fourth straight season, according to data from Nielsen Media Research 

• Also ranked number 1 in its time slot for 4 years running
• Of all season finales on network TV, American Idol ranked #13 this season, with 31.7M viewers  (points of comparison:  MASH had 105.9M viewers, Cheers had 80.4M, Seinfeld had 76.3M, and Friends had 52.5M – these were the top four of all time)
• 97.5M votes for final show in 2008 Idol

   

More resources

• See also on this wiki: Opinions and ratings