(Updates with "American Idol" earning a 6.4 according to latest ratings released this afternoon. That is still an all-time low for a season finale.)
"American Idol" had its lowest-rated season finale ever Wednesday, sliding in total viewers and the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic from past finales.
The finale caps a difficult season for the show, the highest rated on televison for the previous eight seasons. Because of the ratings slip this season, its eleventh, it is in a close race with NBC's "The Voice" for TV's highest-rated program aside from NFL football.
"The Voice" averaged a 6.1 rating in the key demo this season, and the "Idol" average was close to that.