ABC/Eric Liebowitz(HOLLYWOOD) — The new season of American Idol hasn’t even concluded, but ABC has renewed it for a second season.
The network announced Friday that the show will return for the 2018-2019 season. Ryan Seacrest will be back once again as the host, and judges Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and Katy Perry have all signed on for a second season as well.
It’s not clear exactly when the new season will start. When the show was on Fox, American Idol always started in January and ran through May. ABC’s new version premiered on March 11 and will conclude May 21.
ABC says American Idol is the “most social prime-time reality series of 2018 to date,” meaning it gets the most mentions on social media. Its Sunday episodes have been drawing an average audience of 9.3 million viewers, according to the network.
In a statement, Channing Dungey, president of ABC Entertainment, said, “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.”
She added, “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.”
This Sunday night, the remaining seven contestants will be mentored by Nick Jonas and will sing the songs of Prince, as well as songs from the year they were born. The show airs live coast-to-coast at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
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