MUMBAI: Judges have come and gone, but what had remained consistent about Fox’s American Idol apart from host Ryan Seacrest, are the sponsors.

However, in a new development AT&T which has been the sponsor for the reality show for its last 12 editions has finally decided to part ways. The American telecom giant has earlier been quoted as saying that the show is a powerful platform that allows it to connect with its customers directly.

However, it seems the show’s declining ratings has adversely affected the relationship between the two. As per the Nielsen data, reported in American dailies, the average audience size for Idol has dropped by 9.9 million viewers over the past three seasons, from 23.1 million in 2011 to 13.2 million last year.

The other sponsors - Coke and Ford – are still associated with the show, the 13th edition of which went on air on 15 January.