Numbers Back American Idol Worship

American Idol—the highest-rated show of the 21st century—finishes its seventh season tomorrow, moving Portfolio to some Idol chatter:

• Total number of episodes since its debut in 2002 (as of May 19): 270
• Number of seasons ranked the No. 1 show on television: 3
• Value of the Idol franchise, per Advertising Age: $2.5 billion

• Approximate number of CDs sold by Idol winners: 24.5 million
• Approximate number of CDs sold by runners-up: 6.5 million
• Estimated number of viewers who watched the '08 season premiere: 33.2 million
• Votes cast during the season finale last year: 74 million (Idol allows up to 10 votes per phone number)
• Percentage of Americans who believe their Idol is as important as their vote for president, according to Fox News: 35 percent

(Read more American Idol stories.)