ITV’s The X Factor recovered slightly on Saturday night after its record low last week, but was still some 3 million viewers behind the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing.
Simon Cowell’s show pulled in 6.4 million viewers on Saturday, 800,000 more than its 5.6 million audience the previous week – the lowest since its first ever episode in 2004.
Strictly Come Dancing drew 9.2 million viewers on Saturday, about 200,000 fewer viewers than the previous week.
On Sunday, it attracted its biggest audience this series, with 10.3 million tuning in to watch BBC weather presenter Carol Kirkwood leave the show.
Some 7.2 million tuned in to watch The X Factor results show on Sunday compared with 6.7 million the week before, again showing an uplift.
The X Factor’s recovery comes at a crucial time, as the BBC’s decision to avoid a bidding war for The Voice is expected to see ITV win the rights to the rival talent show.
The broadcaster had already sealed a deal for The Voice Kids, a version of the show featuring eight- to 14-year-olds, and if it were to take over the adult series, it could have glut of reality entertainment shows if it were to keep both The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent.
The X Factor is currently only slated for another series, its 14th, next year at ITV after the broadcaster signed a three-year deal in 2013.
Given The X Factor’s declining fortunes on ITV, analysts believe it could move to pay-TV broadcaster Sky after the last series covered by the deal airs in 2016.
While ITV is the ultimate owner of The Voice format owner Talpa after buying the company for £355m in March, Cowell holds the rights to The X Factor as well as Britain’s Got Talent.
