'The Glee Project' Resurges in Second Week, Premiere Ratings Boosted by Online Views

Last week's series premiere of "The Glee Project" had execs and analysts scratching their heads: the reality competition show was attached to one of the most popular scripted shows on television, yet the premiere saw only 455,000 viewers. Execs in charge of the show were especially disappointed as the preview video on YouTube (with the cast performing Katy Perry's "Firework") had gotten good traffic.

But the question of "where did all the viewers go?" might have been answered, and the answer is this: they didn't go anywhere. They all stayed right where they were, on the internet. According to Nielsen, if you count the viewership from the Oxygen network, Hulu, Oxygen.com, and VOD, the premiere episode of "The Glee Project" was watched by 4.5 million people.

That means that more than twice as many people watched the premiere online or on demand than during the actual premiere slots.

Is "The Glee Project" a sign of the times, that Nielsen ratings can't be trusted on their own anymore? Probably. It should also be noted that the show premiered on the same night as the Tony Awards and the last game of the NBA Finals, making the normally competitive Sunday night even more competitive.

During week two, "The Glee Project" increased its 9pm viewership to 527,000...still not a great number, but better than 455,000. Plus, it's always encouraging to see a show get more viewers after its premiere, rather than lose them.

Granted, some of these online numbers are out there as a PR push from Oxygen. But the fact remains that Nielsen numbers can't be the only indicator that execs pay attention to anymore. Online viewership, number of "likes" on Facebook, and merchandising possibilities (soundtracks, live tours, etc.) must be a factor as well. And when you add those in...well, "The Glee Project" might have a bright future.