'American Idol' Finale Viewed by 29 Million People

May 21, 2009
'American Idol' finale sings loud in the ratings
, Associated Press

'American Idol' judge Kara Dio Guardi

NEW YORK -  Nielsen ratings give "American Idol" a huge win as Kris Allen beat Adam Lambert to become the show's singing champ.

Nielsen says nearly 29 million viewers tuned in for the finale Wednesday night. "American Idol" viewership was one-third larger than the total audience logged by Fox's rival networks ABC, CBS, NBC and CW.

Meanwhile, "American Idol" helped carry the Fox network to its fifth straight win for the entire broadcast season among viewers age 18-to-49 years old.
(Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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