Is The 2007 American Idols Live! Tour In Trouble?
September 5, 2007 by Jeanne
Wanna go to the American Idols Live! Tour? You do? Well, it would seem that you are in a growing minority. This tour is thisclose to being written off as a failure. It’s sad but I just don’ think the season 6 contestants are that entertaining. I like some of them but not enough to dish out money for tour tickets, parking and wait in traffic. I can hold out for any CDs that get released. Apparently, I’m not alone. Read this (make sure you take note of the stats! I couldn’t believe how bad the numbers are):
American Idol 6’s ratings were way down, and the show continues to prove to be less popular than its predecessors. At its halfway point, the tour of the top 10 finalists is far less popular than the tour last year and even the one in 2005. After 30 of 57 shows, “this year’s crop of 10 Idol finalists is falling short of last year’s concert performance,” USA TODAY reports.
The evidence: “Nearly half (14) of the shows were below 60% of capacity. (Lowest was 38.9% in Birmingham, Ala., hometown of 2006 winner Taylor Hicks and 2003 champ Ruben Studdard.) In 2006, the lowest-capacity figure in the first 30 shows was 89.3%.” In addition, “[n]o sellouts were reported for the first 30 shows, and only one topped the 93% of capacity mark,” according to the paper. During last year’s first half, “17 were sellouts and another 10 exceeded 93% of capacity.”
USA TODAY compares last year’s tour numbers to this year’s and finds that the show has filled just 63.3 percent of its seats, compared to 96.1 percent overall last year; 200,047 people attended, compared to 645,782 for the full tour in 2006. Overall, the tour has earned $12.1 million at its halfway point this year, which is far less than half of the $35.2 million it earned last year.
Why is this happening? Variety music editor Don Waller told the paper that this is “not a compelling group of acts. There was no must-see live performer and not a lot of diversity.”
Another potential factor is greed, in the form of “rising ticket prices. Idol 2006 tour prices averaged $53.27; they rose 13% to an average of $60.45 for the current tour. In 2005, the average price was $44.47,” the paper reports.
Tags: american idol 2007 tour, ticket sales, slump, trouble, problems
what are they talking about…blake is someone to see lol
awwh, that’s kind of sad. i really enjoyed this season, & cannot wait until saturday to see them!
im with my bffl karly! i loooooved this season! jordin is as good as carrie underwood in my opinion. the season was just as entertaining! i can’t wait til saturday! i hope i can go! last saturday was AMAZING!!! you don’t know what you’re missing if you skipped this year!!! the concert was PACKED FULL! i don’t know what you’re talking about!! iLOVEjordinSPARKS!!!
It is sad and I feel bad for the Idols but it’s the producers fault really. This season was just too out of control. There is some good talent though.
I agree a’kyra
It’s a shame that you didn’t check out the show, Jeanne! Because it WAS entertaining! It was one o the best I’ve seen (Ive been to them all since S3) and it was MILES better than the S5 show, joke. Ive read the opinions of a lot of people who agree with that too. I dont blame people for not going, it’s sad though because they missed out.
Guys - I know there is talent there. There are people that I really like but there are a couple people that I’m not sure I could stand listening to live. I’m always opening to hearing that I’m wrong because sometimes I really, really am.
Kim - what was it like? I mean, was there something different about the show this season? What do you think is happening? I know they raised the ticket prices but there has to be more going on than that…
A’kyra - the behind-the-scenes people really did kinda screw up this season for me also. I hope they learn from it because this Top 10 is suffering for it. It’s sad.
I THINK THAT HE IDOL THIS YEAR WERE GREAT I DO THINK THAT IT’S SAD THAT THERE NOT AS POPULAR,
I MEAN I LOVE ‘EM ALL I WOULD GO SEE ‘EM OVER AND OVER UNIT I GOT BROKE BECAUSE THE TICKETS ARE A LITTLE PRICEY