Execs Credit Adam Levine for Ratings: ‘He Could Ask for the Moon’ (EXCL)
The Voice triumphed in beating out its main competitor American Idol in the ratings department and execs at NBC are thrilled, leaving the show’s star panelist Adam Levine with some serious weight to throw around as he pleases as they’re united in agreement his return to the show is the key to their continued success.
“Adam is now in a position where he could ask for the moon and get it from the network,” a source exclusively tells Life & Style. “The numbers don’t lie, viewers are tuning in to see him and that is no doubt going to mean more money in his pocket.”
While Idol attempted to revamp their panel by bringing previous winner Carrie Underwood on for Season 22 to replace Katy Perry and join returning judges Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, it couldn’t quite match the magic created by cohosts Adam Levine, John Legend, Kelsea Ballerini and Michael Bublé over at The Voice.
The show consistently beat out American Idol ratings-wise. As the U.S. Sun reported, it hit 5,237,000 viewers for the March 17 episode, while the March 16 episode of American Idol fell short with 4,510,000 viewers. The rest of the season paints a similar picture, with Idol scoring only one victory — the March 2 preview where they introduced their new judging panel that landed 5,905,000 viewers. It aired right after the Oscars wrapped up for the evening, though the NBC program came close with 5,646,000 viewers.
With a clear trend emerging, the source notes network bigwigs at NBC are crediting the Maroon 5 frontman, 46, for clinching the win over Fox’s iconic show. No doubt, with such recognition comes a big payday for the musician.
“His salary is being kept very hush hush, but a lot of people are saying they’re paying him the most on the show, they likely had to in order to lure him back,” the insider explains. “Now, with these ratings and this proof of his value, it’s likely he’ll get even more for future seasons, assuming he sticks around.”
Adam initially left the voice in 2019 to spend more quality time with his young, growing family. He married Behati Prinsloo in 2014 and welcomed two daughters: Dusty Rose, in 2016 and Gio Grace, in 2018, which led him to ultimately decide to take a break and get as much family time in as possible while they’re young. The couple welcomed a son in 2023, too.
With Adam now back and fully integrated into The Voice’s cast once again, “Everyone is buzzing about how great he’s been for the show and how happy they are to have him back,” the source says. To make his return even sweeter, the insider notes there’s been very little jealousy behind the scenes, even as he’s fawned over like the rock star he is, as pumping ratings brings a smile to everyone’s faces.
“They’ve been lavishing him with praise, but so far it doesn’t seem to be causing any issues among the cast. They’re all just so happy that the show is killing it and in the top spot.”