The debut of the new “American Idol” judging panel of Keith Urban, Jennifer Lopez and Harry Connick Jr., wasn’t enough to stem the sliding ratings of the Fox reality competition show — at least not yet.
“Idol” averaged 15.2 million viewers for its two-hour Season 13 premiere Wednesday night, according to Nielsen, down 15 percent from last year’s opener, which drew 17.9 million viewers. Compared to its Season 12 finale, Wednesday’s episode was up slightly, 6 percent.
Among the key demographic for advertisers — adults 18-49 — “Idol” had a steeper 22 percent drop to a 4.7 rating, down from the 6.0 rating it premiered to last year.
It also marked the Fox show’s least-watched premiere since its June 2002 debut, when it drew 9.9 million viewers.
In addition to the new judges, “Idol” this season brought on an entirely new team of executive producers and is instituting a number of format changes in an effort to win back viewers.