Ellen Degeneres is proving to be a ratings draw for American Idol.

Five weeks into the new season, ratings for American Idol on FOX 50 are up +30% over last year . The season premiere delivered a 24.5 HH Rtg in Raleigh, and only five markets had a higher rating.

The year-to-date household average for American Idol is 20.9 on FOX 50, +48% higher than the national average of 14.1.

Nationally, the start of Ellen DeGeneres’ reign on American Idol — as well as the start of Hollywood Week for the show — lifted the program’s already high ratings.

The preliminary Idol Nielsen ratings had its best results since the show’s season premiere: a 10.1 rating/26 share among 18-49 viewers nationally.

The show was also up 1% among 18-49 viewers for the start of Hollywood Week versus the same week a year ago. Better news came from year-to-year comparisons among total viewers, with a 4% improvement to an average 27.7 million shares. Teen viewers climbed 8%.

Thanks to FOX 50’s Gerald Belton for this capcom story & these capcom graphics.