X Factor Odds in High Demand
X Factor betting continues strong in the United Kingdom and most of the major online bookmakers offer odds on the nation's most popular television program.
Danyl Johnson is currently the bookie's favorite to win. BetFred.com was offering Johnson at 9/2 odds.
Stacey Soloman (5/1), Lucie Jones (5/1), Olly Murs (6/1) and Jamie Archer (8/1) were each listed with single digit odds of winning this season's X Factor. Scott James was being offered up at 10/1 odds.
Betting on British television shows is back in vogue thanks to X Factor. Big Brother UK, once the most bet on of the UK television programs, will be cancelled following a final celebrity installment of the once hugely popular show.
The X Factor is a British television music talent show contested by aspiring pop singers drawn from public auditions. It is broadcast on the ITV network in the United Kingdom and on TV3 in the Republic of Ireland, with spin-off "behind-the-scenes" shows The Xtra Factor and The X Factor 24/7 screened on ITV2 and TV3.
The X Factor was devised as a replacement for the highly successful Pop Idol, and is the biggest television talent competition in Europe, with 182,000 auditioning for series 5. The prize is a £1,000,000 (sterling) recording contract with record label Syco.
Viewing figures of around ten million were claimed for series 2 and 4, and eleven to twelve million for series 5. Over three million public votes were cast in the series 2 semi-final, and six million in the first part of the final. The series 3 final attracted eight million votes and 12.6 million viewers. The series 4 final drew 12.7 million viewers - a 55% share of the terrestrial TV audience. In series 5, 12.8 million tuned in to see the 29 November 2008 show featuring guest Britney Spears, a new X Factor record. The series 5 final peaked with 14.6 million viewers.
Jordan Bach, Gambling911.com
