‘American Idol’ & ‘The Voice’ Ratings Revealed: Which Show Has More Viewers?

Adam Levine and Carrie Underwood© The Voice YouTube; American Idol YouTube

American Idol and The Voice have both seen major shake-ups for their current seasons, but which show is bringing in the most viewers?

Season 27 of The Voice premiered on February 3, 2025, on NBC and saw the return of former coach Adam Levine, back for his seventeenth season after last coaching during Season 16. Levine joined returning coaches John Legend and Michael Bublé and first-time coach Kelsea Ballerini.

Meanwhile, Season 23 of American Idol premiered on ABC on March 2, 2025, and saw season four winner Carrie Underwood joining the judging panel to replace Katy Perry. Underwood serves as a judge alongside regulars Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie.

According to The U.S. Sun, The Voice is currently winning the ratings war between the two long-running singing competitions. The March 17 episode of The Voice brought in 5,237,000 total viewers for NBC, almost a million more than Idol‘s March 16 episode, which brought in 4,510,000 total viewers.

The March 9 episode of Idol, which featured Part 2 of the Auditions, amassed 4,494,000 total viewers. In comparison, the March 10 episode of The Voice had 5,470,000 total viewers.

In fact, the only episode of Idol to beat The Voice so far this season was the premiere on March 2, which aired immediately after the Academy Awards. That episode brought in 5,905,000 viewers, compared to The Voice‘s 5,646,000 viewers for its March 3 episode.

The Voice’s premiere on February 3 reached 5,684,000 total viewers.

Idol faced controversy earlier this year when some fans vowed to boycott the show after Underwood performed “America the Beautiful” at President Donald Trump‘s inauguration.

“I will not watch anymore with MAGA Carrie!! I’ve been a fan since the beginning and Kelly Clarkson’s win, but no more. Sad for all fans of the show!” wrote one viewer on social media.

Another added, “I won’t be watching maga Carrie!!!! Sad, because I really love the other 2 judges… when she leaves the show then I’ll return.”

Underwood later shared a statement with People, explaining her decision to perform at Trump’s inauguration. “I love our country and am honored to have been asked to sing at the Inauguration and to be a small part of this historic event,” she said. “I am humbled to answer the call at a time when we must all come together in the spirit of unity and looking to the future.”

American Idol, Season 23, Sundays, 8/7c, ABC

The Voice, Mondays, 8/7c, NBC, streaming on Peacock

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