The rebirth of American Idol will continue on ABC. The network has announced the singing competition series has earned a second season and will air during the 2018-2019 primetime season. ABC also confirmed Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, and Lionel Richie will return as judges, and Ryan Seacrest will be back as host.
“We knew that American Idol on ABC would unleash an opportunity for singers from all walks of life to realize their dreams and that these incredible contestants would have America rooting for their success,” stated Channing Dungey, president, ABC Entertainment. “I am thrilled that Katy, Luke, Lionel and Ryan will be back to once again embark on this Idol journey with us to discover the next crop of inspiring talent.”
“American Idol’s return on ABC has shown once again that viewers love to discover and support raw talent,” added Trish Kinane, president of Entertainment Programming, FremantleMedia North America, executive producer and showrunner of American Idol. “Our new judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie have brought huge credibility, energy and fun to the show this year, and we are so excited to continue the journey with Ryan Seacrest at the helm in the search for the next superstar.”
The first season of the series’ airing on ABC has averaged 9.3 million viewers. American Idol is a FremantleMedia North America and CORE Media Group’s 19 Entertainment production. The popular singing competition is executive produced by Trish Kinan, Jennifer Mullin, and Phil McIntyre.
“Our team is incredibly proud of the success we have had with American Idol on ABC, and we are excited to search for more talent nationwide with a second season. We look forward to furthering our relationship with the network, our partners at FremantleMedia, Luke, Katy, Lionel, Ryan, and all those who audition to become the next American Idol as we continue to entertain fans with incredible performances week after week!” said Dennis Miller, executive chairman of CORE Media Group.
