"The Voice" vs. "The X Factor"

What are ratings and shares?

The difference between rating and shares is simple. Rating reflects the percentage of the total population of televisions tuned to a program. Share reflects the percentage of televisions that are actually in use. An example could be, Show “Z” earning a 5.6/11 during it’s broadcast. This means that on average, 5.6 percent of all television households were tuned into that program at any given time, while 11 percent of television households were tuned into that program during the time slot.

“The Voice” defeats “The X Factor” during season premieres.

The race in ratings between these two singing competitions was very close. NBC’s The Voice made a strategic move by extending their premiere week by adding a third night to compete against Fox’s The X Factor. Fox was the number 1 network, but NBC won with total amount of viewers. The premiere of The X Factor earned a 3.3 in ratings from adults 18-49, which went down drastically compared to last season’s premiere, which was a 4.4. During the common hour these two shows shared on Wednesday night, The X Factor scored a 2.7 and The Voice won during that 8PM slot. While 10.7 million people were watching The Voice, only around 8.5 million watched the premiere of The X Factor. Overall, both competition shows averaged at a 3.3 rating but The Voice won by amount of viewers and shares. (Numbers by TV by the numbers)

How “The Voice” and “The X Factor” are so different.

NBC’s The Voice has the most entertaining panel of judges on any other reality singing competition. Celebrity judges such as, Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine, Cee Lo Green and Blake Shelton all of offer a unique style of music to the competitors. The advantage that The Voice has on all the other singing shows is the round of blind auditions; it’s the first time that competitors are able to sing for judges without being based on their appearance. The title The Voice is the most accurate title; the judges compete between themselves to have a team with the best voices. 

Fox’s The X Factor, features Simon Cowell, who started this show in the UK but was brought to the states last year. He has taken a big risk this year by replacing judges with Britney Spears and Demi Lovato, but LA Reid is still a judge. The format of competitors is varied with individuals, boys, girls, elders, and groups. According to MTV news, Justin Bieber is rumored to be a mentor on the show, if that’s the case, when it comes to popular celebrity figures; The X Factor takes the cake.