‘American Idol’ renewed for second season at ABC

ABC has renewed “American Idol” for another season, the network announced on Friday.

Judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie, as well as host Ryan Seacrest are all set to return for the show’s second season on ABC next year, its 17th overall.

Since returning in March, the singing competition has performed decently well for ABC, averaging a respectable 9.3 million viewers and a 2.1 rating in the 18-49 demographic with its Sunday telecast. That’s a far cry from the show’s viewership peak during its original run on Fox, but good enough to secure its spot as the top new unscripted show on broadcast this season.

“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,”ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey said in a statement. “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” is produced by FremantleMedia North America and CORE Media Group’s 19 Entertainment. Executive producers are showrunner Trish Kinane, Fremantle’s Jennifer Mullin and Phil McIntyre of CORE Media.

“‘American Idol”s return on ABC has shown once again that viewers love to discover and support
raw talent,” said Kinane, president of Entertainment Programming at FremantleMedia. “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.”

Dennis Miller, executive chairman of CORE Media Group, added, “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!”