ABC has renewed American Idol for its 21st season, two weeks before its 20th season finale.
That shows the network’s faith in its singing reality series. In comparison, it has been months since The Voice finished its 21st season and NBC has still not announced its status for renewal.
Here is what you need to know about American Idol’s renewal.
American Idol returning for Season 21
American Idol will be back for another season on ABC.
This will be its 21st season overall, but there is a chance that it will be known as Season 6 when it comes out in 2023. That is because it is the sixth season on ABC and the network started its season count over when it acquired the hit series.
However, with this season almost exclusively known as Season 20, thanks to the anniversary reasoning, there is a chance it goes back to the history and calls it Season 21.
The announcement came with no notes or comments from the network, series’ stars, nor the production team.
However, with the renewal, ABC did tout its ratings this season, which are actually 15% higher than they were for Season 19 when it comes to the demo ratings of adults aged 18 to 49. These ratings also take into account the viewing on all platforms over 35 days.
This is also good news for fans who still prefer to watch on cable television or through an antenna because American Idol will remain on ABC. Its fellow Disney series, Dancing with the Stars, will move to the streaming platform, Disney+.
There were some rumors that American Idol would also move to capture the ever-growing, cord-cutting, streaming audiences. For now, American Idol will remain on ABC, possibly waiting to see what the success of DWTS on streaming looks like. There are 125 million people who subscribe to Disney+ streaming.
Who will be back for American Idol next season?
The renewal did not include information on the judges or host. That can often change at the last minute, as mentor Bobby Bones left the series after the auditions, but before it began airing this season.
If there is one good bet, it is that Ryan Seacrest will be back as the host. He has been hosting American Idol since the first season and is the one mainstay of the show.
The other hosts – Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, and Lionel Richie – will likely make their decisions over the summer on whether to re-sign and return to American Idol.
American Idol airs on Sunday nights at 8/7c on ABC.