Entertainment

"American Idol" Ratings Drop Continues

By Joyce Lee

March 8, 2011 / 4:39 PM EST / CBS News

"American Idol" judges Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson. FOX

NEW YORK (CBS/AP) Initial ratings show interest is down in "American Idol" and its new panel of judges.

Preliminary figures show the decline for Thursday night's episode was even steeper than the Wednesday night premiere, which was down double digits over the previous year.

The Nielsen Co. says 26.2 million people saw the two-hour season 10 premiere Wednesday night, which is down 13 percent from the 29.9 million people who saw last year's season debut.

PICTURES: Steven Tyler
PICTURES: Last Year's Season Finale
READ MORE: New Judges in "Idol" Spotlight

Thursday night's New Orleans episode, which even showed new judge Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson showing off their abs on camera, saw a steeper ratings drop. According to Nielsen, numbers for the episode were down 18 percent among the key 18-49 years old demo.

The 62-year-old Tyler is gearing up to be the fan favorite judgewith his random thoughts and off-the-wall comments, while pop star Jennifer Lopez is being branded as the "sensitive" one or the new Paula Abdul.

Despite the reports on low numbers, executive producer Nigel Lythgoe says he's feeling good about this season.

"Everyone seems to be noticing the "heart" of "American Idol" this season," he wrote on his Twitter feed. "It gets bigger."