Ratings: ‘The X Factor’ USA season 3 arrives with a thud; ‘MasterChef’ finale tops

We will be honest here and say from the get-go that we did not expect the ratings to be very good for the season 3 premiere of “The X Factor,” but did we expect them to be this big of a disappoint so quickly?

Maybe you can blame the lack of A-list judges, or maybe blame the idea that the singing competition genre of shows is completely and totally played out. Either way, the premiere only drew a series-low 2.1 rating in the 18-49 demographic, and that was with there being very little competition on any of the other networks. Did some viewers not realize that this was on? Maybe, but we assume that more simply did not care after watching the ratings fall during season 2. This show is a big commitment, and not one that everyone wants to make. (Ironically, the premiere was actually pretty good, even if one of the contestants may have been misrepresented.)

The irony here is that “The X Factor” did not even win the night on Fox. That honor instead went to the finale of “MasterChef,” which drew a solid 2.4 rating and proved yet again that it is a consistent force in the summer months. To be honest, we would not be shocked to see “MasterChef” moved to the fall next year, and for “X Factor” to be gone for good (though we think the cooking show is better in the summer months).

Also worth noting here is that “Big Brother 15” still drew a 2.2 last night, despite everyone saying that this season is horrible and threatening not to watch.

What did you watch on Wednesday night? If you want to read some more news, including our full review of last night’s episode and some controversy related to it, just be sure to visit the link here.

Photo: Fox