ABC has renewed American Idol for the 2026–27 season, bringing the singing competition to its tenth year on ABC and its 25th season overall (The Hollywood Reporter).

The announcement came on Wednesday, July 29, 2026 (USA Today). ABC did not hold a press event or name a spokesperson; The Hollywood Reporter attributes the renewal simply to the network itself.

The show's journey is a long one. American Idol ran for 15 seasons on Fox before ABC revived it in 2018. The ABC reboot has now nearly caught up to the original Fox run in season count — 10 versus 15 — a milestone few revived series reach.

For the people who make the show, the renewal secures another cycle of work for a production operation spanning hundreds of crew members, a writers' room, and the nationwide casting machine that feeds each season. American Idol is produced by Fremantle and 19 Entertainment, part of Sony Pictures Television (The Hollywood Reporter). Megan Michaels Wolflick serves as executive producer and showrunner (ABC Bios).

The numbers back the decision. The most recent completed season averaged 7.08 million cross-platform viewers over seven days — a figure that counts viewers who watch live plus those who tune in within the following week across all devices. That audience grew roughly 11 percent compared to the prior season (The Hollywood Reporter). Earlier in the same cycle, an April 2026 episode drew 5.3 million total viewers, which ABC said at the time was the show's biggest audience in over two months (ABC Press Releases).

Country singer Hannah Harper won the most recent season finale (The Hollywood Reporter).

ABC's renewal announcement did not confirm whether host Ryan Seacrest and judges Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, and Carrie Underwood would return. Unnamed sources told The Hollywood Reporter that all four are expected back, but the network has not said so on the record (The Hollywood Reporter).

Underwood, herself an American Idol winner from the Fox era, joined the judges' table for the most recent season, replacing Katy Perry. ABC had previewed her addition in February 2025 (ABC News).

Auditions for the coming season begin August 25, 2025, with virtual casting calls open to contestants from all 50 states and Washington, D.C. (The Hollywood Reporter). The show also continues to live beyond its own time slot: ABC recently scheduled an American Idol Men vs. American Idol Women edition of Celebrity Family Feud as part of that show's Season 12 premiere on July 9 (ABC News).

What makes this renewal stand out is the audience trajectory. A 19-year-old franchise posting double-digit viewership growth is rare in broadcast television, where most long-running shows see their audiences shrink year over year. The cross-platform figure — which captures delayed viewing that overnight ratings miss — suggests the show is picking up viewers who never tune in live at all.

For fans, the renewal means another round of auditions, eliminations, and finale-night drama in 2027. For the crew and production staff, it means another season of work is locked in.