All good things must come to an end. What was one of FOX’s most watched reality shows will soon wind down due to low ratings and ad sales, say network bosses. Chase Carey, admitted that the media giant’s advertising revenue had taken a hit due to low ratings from American Idol and X Factor. Also, the advertising revenue from political fronts post 2013’s election had affected the results, said the company. While speaking with analysts, Chase Carey said that the reality show was in “a transition” and that it was winding down, adding that the show’s ratings came down faster than expected.
In earlier seasons, its finales managed to stay put in the first spot for eight consecutive years, from 2003 to 2011. The 2006 finale boasted of 36 million viewers, and in 2008 of 31 million viewers. But the finale aired last year, saw a drastic drop to a viewership of just 14.4 million. The network admitted that expenses from bringing brand new shows on board would be weighing down on this year’s profits. Meanwhile, improved production results from drama series Homeland and syndicated comedy Modern Family, brought a 7-percent increase in the revenue of the film division of the company, bringing it up to $2.48 billion.