"Jeopardy!" remains one of the highest-rated syndicated shows in the country. But in the wake of all-time champ Ken Jennings losing, the show's audience has shrunk noticeably.

The Nov. 30 episode of the game show, on which Jennings finally lost after 74 consecutive wins that earned him $2.5 million, scored an impressive 13.0 rating according to preliminary metered-market figures from Nielsen (final numbers aren't out until next week). If those numbers hold up, that would mean more than 14 million homes were tuned to the show that day (one ratings point represents about 1.1 million households).

In the days following Jennings's loss to California real estate agent Nancy Zerg, though, ratings for "Jeopardy!" steadily declined. The Dec. 1 episode, which saw Zerg lose her first title defense, posted a 9.7 rating. The numbers slipped to 9.1 on Dec. 2 and 8.1 Dec. 3.

The ratings slide isn't a big surprise. A summer hiatus in the middle of Jennings's run corresponded with significantly smaller audiences; a college tournament that aired in November also drew lower ratings than games featuring Jennings.

Ratings for "Jeopardy!" improved more than 20 percent, compared to the same time last year, while Jennings was on his streak.