• by Wayne Friedman , March 13, 2012

The game is changing among the big TV singing competition shows -- a little less than halfway through their respective seasons. Through six episodes, NBC’s “The Voice” has been averaging a Nielsen 7.0 rating among 18-49 viewers and some 18.4 million viewers.

Fox’s “American Idol” two shows -- its Wednesday performance show and its Thursday results show -- are more than a rating point behind through eight episodes apiece. Wednesdays are at a 5.9 rating among 18-49 viewers, and Thursdays are at a 5.3 rating.

Still, the “Idol” performance in terms of overall viewers has a slight edge over “The Voice” -- 18.7 million versus 18.4 million.

A few days ago, NBC said it will get more into the “Idol” way of thinking and add a second night of the show per week.

Fox’s fall “X-Factor” averaged a 3.8 rating among 18-49 viewers for its Wednesday performance show and 11.4 million viewers; Thursdays pulled in nearly the same results, with a 3.7 rating for 18-49 and 11.4 million viewers. 

But the highest-rated TV show this season continues to be NBC’s “Sunday Night Football.” With 15 episodes in the fall. It has averaged a Nielsen 8.0 rating among 18-49 viewers, pulling in 20.7 million viewers.

Right behind football and singing reality stand the two CBS comedies. “Two and a Half Men” is at a 4.7 rating and 17.4 million viewers. “Big Bang Theory," now earning higher ratings than “Idol” on Thursday in recent episodes, has been averaging a 4.6 rating and 14.1 million viewers.

So far this season, there are only 25 broadcast network shows averaging a 3.0 rating among 18-49 viewers. There are 21 shows averaging 10 million or more viewers.