A version of this story first appeared in the June 28 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine.
The Voice wrapped its fourth season on June 18 with a star-studded finale that included appearances by Cher (her first TV performance in a decade), Bruno Mars, OneRepublic, Nelly and Hunter Hayes, among others. Compared to American Idol’s season 12 closer on May 16, which featured a Frankie Valli group number and Aretha Franklin singing via satellite, the NBC show felt fresher. How did the two singing competitions stack up in other key areas? THR investigates …
AVERAGE PERFORMER AGE
Voice: 38
Idol: 41
Mars and Hayes helped bring down the average performer age to 38, more in line with the show's younger viewer demo.
Winner: VoiceGRAMMYS
Voice: 11
Idol: 28
With 18 for Franklin and five for Carey, Idol reigns supreme -- though ratings for the Fox series were down 44 percent from 2012.
Winner: Idol
PHOTOS: 'American Idol' Season 12 Finale in Pictures
GROUP NUMBER
Voice: “Home” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes
Idol: “Glad You Came” by The Wanted
The Voice goes with the hipper choice, complete with "Hey" grunts.
Winner: Voice
BIG GET
Voice: Cher
Idol: Aretha Franklin
In the battle of the divas, Cher comes out on top since the Queen of Soul couldn't make it to Idol's live show and sang via satellite.
Winner: Voice
DOUBLE DUTY
Voice: Pitbull with Christina Aguilera
Idol: Pitbull with Jennifer Lopez
The Latino rapper performed with alumni of both shows.
Winner: Draw
STORY: TV Ratings: 'The Voice' Drops From Recent Performance Finales
NEWCOMER
Voice: Hunter Hayes
Idol: Emeli Sande
One's a Grammy-nominated country artist, the other a Scottish singer-songwriter with loads of promise.
Winner: Draw
COUNTRY ACT
Voice: Florida Georgia Line
Idol: The Band Perry
The Voice nabs the band that currently holds the No. 5 song in the country; Idol goes with a slightly more seasoned act whose latest album is already gold.
Winner: Draw
FINAL VERDICT: NBC's saving grace squeaks out a victory over the 12-year-old Fox show -- much like the ratings for the series' most recent seasons.
Twitter: @Idol_Worship
