America’s Got Talent is currently airing auditions for Season 20. Although the show is relatively popular compared to other summer offerings, the ratings aren’t what they used to be. Why are fewer people tuning in to the talent show in recent years?
America’s Got Talent Ratings Are Down for Season 20
According to Deadline, America’s Got Talent Season 20 is the top entertainment series of the summer in total viewers. This could reportedly be the show’s 20th year in a row as the No. 1 broadcast summer alternative series in terms of total viewers.
However, Collider points out that the show’s ratings pale in comparison to what they were 10 years ago. Back in 2015, the show was consistently pulling in over 10 million viewers. This season, however, the show hasn’t been able to break 5 million.
Season 20 of the show is also lagging behind past seasons when it comes to the key 18-49 demographic, with a reported average of 0.39. This seems to suggest that the show’s current viewership leans older, as younger viewers opt out of watching.
Collider suggests several possible reasons for AGT‘s lower ratings in recent seasons. The outlet points out that the numbers started to drop in Season 16, when Covid-19 pandemic restrictions began to be lifted. The show averaged 6.6 million viewers that year, compared to the double digits it was drawing the previous summer.
In addition to the pandemic, the popularity of cord-cutting may have also impacted viewership, as many households have canceled their traditional cable subscriptions in favor of streaming services. Because of this, many people simply don’t have the means to tune in when the show is airing live on NBC.
The outlet also suggests that the show’s format simply doesn’t appeal to younger viewers, who are instead “looking for drama-filled, bingeworthy shows that often focus on relationships or gossip.” The show’s auditions also aren’t as easily digestible on social media as other reality TV fare.
What do you think? Does America’s Got Talent deserve more viewers? Has your interest in the show changed in recent years? Let us know in the comments below.
Words by:
Jill O'Rourke Jill O’Rourke is a contributor at Talent Recap, writing news stories and recaps for shows like ‘AGT,’ ‘The Voice,’ and ‘American Idol.’ She graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English and Film Studies, and has been writing about pop culture since 2012, with previous bylines at Crushable and A Plus. Jill spends her free time binge-watching sitcoms and daydreaming about life as a hobbit
