Skip to main content

The Voice and American Idol are back with fan favorites as judges. The Voice Season 27 brought back Adam Levine as a coach. Levine was a coach on seasons 1-16 before taking a break from the show. As for American Idol, the show returned with Carrie Underwood replacing Katy Perry for season 23. Now, it looks like reality TV competition fans are more invested in The Voice than American Idol. Here are possible reasons why.

Carrie Underwood’s inauguration performance may have turned off ‘American Idol’ viewers

The Voice Season 27 and American Idol Season 23 compete for the same audience. Both singing reality shows utilize famous faces as judges and coaches to find top talent. While American Idol has a more straightforward and less competitive show format, it’s retained a healthy fan base through the years.

So, which show is outpacing the other? The U.S. Sun reports more viewers are tuning into The Voice. The Voice brought in 5,237,000 viewers with its episode airing on March 17. American Idol only brought in 4,510,000 viewers with its March 16 episode. As for the show premieres, The Voice had 5,470,000 viewers, and American Idol had 4,494,000 viewers.

So, why does The Voice draw in more viewers than American Idol? American Idol Season 23 may have run into issues before the season started airing. Carrie Underwood, the winner of American Idol Season 4, was announced as Katy Perry’s replacement. Fans were excited to welcome her as a judge alongside Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie. Unfortunately, she made the controversial decision to sing at the second inauguration of Donald Trump, causing a possible division amongst potential viewers.

An insider told The U.S. Sun that American Idol crew members were told “not to bring up the inauguration under any circumstances.” It seems the subject may have caused issues on set. However, a showrunner showed their support for Underwood choosing to sing.

'American Idol' Season 23 judges Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, and Carrie Underwood with host Ryan Seacrest all standing and smiling
‘American Idol’ Season 23 judges Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, and Carrie Underwood with host Ryan Seacrest | Kristina Bumphrey/Variety via Getty Images
Related

Carrie Underwood Appeared ‘Tense’ and ‘Serious’ While Filming ‘American Idol,’ Source Says

Adam Levine already had a loyal following from his previous seasons of ‘The Voice’

Adam Levine was one of the most beloved coaches on The Voice. It’s no wonder that fans are tuning in to watch him reclaim his spot in a red chair. While his buddy, Blake Shelton, no longer coaches on the show, Levine is happy to return.

It’s no secret that fans are excited to see Levine. While Carrie Underwood has a massive following in the country music world, she doesn’t have past years of experience as a judge on American Idol. Not only does Levine have a music career to give him credibility as a coach, but he also has years of experience as a source of entertainment on reality TV.

Levine told Jennifer Hudson that he feels “ready” and “rested” to return to The Voice. “I think for a minute, I was just doing it all at once,” he said on the Jennifer Hudson Show. ” … Stepping back into it when I was really ready and comfortable, it kind of felt like natural timing for everything. It’s been super fun. I love these guys I’m working with.”

‘American Idol’ might be leaning too heavily into country music

Carrie Underwood is one of the biggest country music stars today. Having her as a judge on American Idol is a huge boon for the country music world. However, the show also has Luke Bryan — another country music legend. The show’s lack of diverse judges may cause potential fans to tune into The Voice.

Aside from pop music sensation Adam Levine, The Voice Season 27 features John Legend, Michael Bublé, and Kelsea Ballerini as judges. They all have different music styles and backgrounds, giving the singing hopefuls diversity in who they can choose as their coach.

Can Underwood pull in new viewers as she continues to judge American Idol Season 23? We’ll have to wait and see.

For more news and exclusive interviews, follow Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s Instagram.