‘American Idol’ Is Moving Season 25 Production to Georgia

American Idol is preparing to trade Hollywood for the Atlanta area when production begins on Season 25. Fremantle, which makes the ABC competition with 19 Entertainment, confirmed the planned move as the long-running series enters its tenth season on the network.

What changes for Season 25

The production company is in final talks with an Atlanta-area studio complex, although a deal had not yet been signed when the move was reported. The new season is expected to premiere early next year. Ryan Seacrest remains the show’s host, while Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and Carrie Underwood are expected to return as judges; their agreements were still being finalized.

The relocation gives one of television’s most recognizable traditions a different setting. Hollywood Week has been embedded in the show’s identity since its earliest seasons, symbolized by the Golden Ticket that sent successful auditioners to Los Angeles. The program had already loosened that connection last season by holding Hollywood Week in Nashville.

Why Georgia won the production

The shift also reflects a broader competition among states for television work. Georgia offers a tax credit of up to 30 percent for qualifying unscripted and reality productions that spend at least $500,000 in the state. California recently expanded its own incentive program to include some large competition series, but reports indicate that American Idol did not qualify.

Atlanta is already a major production center for scripted films, television and unscripted shows. Moving a franchise of this size adds to the pressure on Los Angeles, where unscripted shoot days have fallen sharply over the past five years. Another major singing competition, The Masked Singer, has also moved production away from California.

For viewers, the format should remain familiar even as the physical home changes. The bigger question is how the series will rework the language and spectacle of Hollywood Week around Atlanta without losing a ritual that has helped define American Idol for more than two decades.