Rick Diamond/WireImage
Slightly more than 31 million people tuned in for Michael Jackson's Staples Center memorial service Tuesday.
The nearly three-hour service -- which included a touching speech from Jackson's daughter, Paris -- was aired on 18 channels. Combined viewership was slightly higher than American Idol.
According to Nielsen Media Research, 21 percent of all U.S. households with TV sets tuned in. Nielsen says that's about the same percentage of households that watched the not-guilty verdict in Jackson's 2005 sexual abuse trial.
In comparison, 33.2 million people watched Princess Diana's 1997 funeral, and nearly 38 million viewed President Obama's inauguration in January.
Nielsen SoundScan numbers also show that Jackson sold 800,000 albums last week -- nearly double the sales from the previous week.
Data from the week ending Sunday -- the first full week since Jackson died on June 25 -- show that Jackson claimed the entire Top 10 on the Top Catalog Album chart.
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