Channel Ten has said it is pleased with the initial ratings for fast-tracked show American Idol, stepping it up to the 7.30pm slot tonight as a sign of faith.

The show premiered last night, five hours after debuting in the US, and attracted a total people average audience in the OzTam preliminary report of 541,000, with a peak of 726,000, ranking 15^th in the overall program standings.

Despite losing in total people to Seven’s Aussie Open coverage, ABC1’s 7.30 and QI and The Big Bang Theory on Nine, Ten said it has performed well in target demographics and was number four show of the night in 16 to 39s and number 5 in 18 to 49 demographics.

A spokesman for Ten said: "(Idol) lifted our audience in that timeslot by 33% in 18 to 49s, compared with the same timeslot in 2012.

"We are pleased with how it has started and have moved Idol into the 7.30pm timeslot tonight, rather than at 8.30pm as planned."

In the 7.30pm slot the show will be up against the tennis again on Seven, the one day international cricket on Nine and 7.30 and an episode of Poirot on ABC1.

In the US the audience for the first show, which features Aussie musician Keith Urban as a judge alongside Mariah Carey, Nikki Minaj and Randy Jackson,  slumped 19%.