American Idol is leaving Los Angeles for the Atlanta area. For host Ryan Seacrest, the move is a homecoming.
What We Know Producer Fremantle confirmed the relocation to The Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday. The long-running ABC series will shift production to metro Atlanta. Season 24 ran 16 episodes. Meanwhile, Georgia hosted 280 productions during its last fiscal year.
What They Said Seacrest, an Atlanta native, sounded genuinely stunned. “I never would have thought in a million years when I started on American Idol 25 years ago that it would come to my hometown permanently,” he said. Then came the best line. “The most excited person is my mother. She is bringing all of her friends from the neighborhood and her exercise class to the show, so get ready for that, America.”
What’s at Stake For Los Angeles, the loss stings. Shoot days fell nearly 13 percent from April to June, per FilmLA. Still, Georgia needs this win too. Its second-quarter production spending dropped 40 percent to $405 million, according to ProdPro. A returning broadcast series offers stability that one-off features simply can’t.
What Remains Unclear Fremantle hasn’t detailed where in the Atlanta area Idol will set up shop. Additionally, the production timeline for the next season remains open. It’s also unclear whether Mayor Karen Bass’s push for reality TV incentives could have kept the show.
What It Means For radio people, this story has a familiar ring. Seacrest got his start as a teenager at Atlanta’s Star 94. Now the biggest singing competition in America is following him home. That’s a win for Georgia’s creative economy. It could also open the door for Atlanta stations to build local Idol tie-ins.
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