Voice outpointing Idol

BATTLE ROYAL: Will NBC’s The Voice dethrone Fox’s American Idol as America’s most-watched show this year? That’s the question pondered this morning by the Wall Street Journal, which, like Fox is owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. The Facts: About 15% fewer viewers in the coveted 18-49 demo watched Wednesday night’s Idol episode than tuned into the Monday-night installment of The Voice, according to Nielsen data provided Thursday by the two networks. About 6.2% of 18- 49s who live in households with TVs have watched the three episodes of The Voice that have aired since the Super Bowl, while 6% have watched the 12 Idol telecasts this season. Idol draws an average 18.5 million viewers, while The Voice has averaged 16.7 million. Idol brought in $743 million in revenue in 2011, according to Kantar Media. But The Voice is still early in just its second season, making it unclear whether its audience will hold at similar levels, writes reporter Sam Schechner. Looks like we’ve got a ballgame, folks. (2/24a)