American Idoljust announced that a preview special of the new season will air directly after one of the biggest awards show.American Idolseason 23will have the very first shakeup on the judging panel in the ABC era.Carrie Underwood is replacing Katy Perry, who sat alongside Lionel Richie and Luke Bryanfor the past seven seasons. While the judges have been a stable force onIdolin recent seasons, the contestants themselves haven’t found much success in the music industry. For example,Noah Thompson was dropped by his record labelnot long after releasing an EP.
Before its official premiere,American Idolseason 23 will air a half-hour special right after a major awards show.
According toTHR,a half-hourAmerican Idolspecial is scheduled to air March 2 at 10:30 p.m. EST/7:30 p.m. PST on ABC, following the Oscars. The special works as a teaser forAmerican Idolseason 23, which doesn’t launch until March 9. The Academy Awards is set to start at 7 p.m. EST/4 p.m. PST and run for three-and-a-half hours.
That meansthere will only be 30 minutes remaining in primetime hours to air the specialAmerican Idolepisode. A lot of times, major awards shows run past their scheduled end time. If that happens at the 2025 Oscars, then the special will begin later than 10:30 p.m.
What Post-Oscars Special Means For American Idol Season 23
ABC Wants To Boost Ratings For American Idol
Awards shows don’t bring in nearly as many viewers as they used to. However,the Oscars is still a prestigious annual event that will see a lot of eyeballs glued to TV screens across the country to find out which film wins Best Pictureat the end of the night. It’s a smart move for ABC to air a sneak peek ofAmerican Idolseason 23 afterward.
There will no doubt be several ads for the hit singing competition show throughout the commercial breaks as well. ABC might even promoteIdolduring the awards show itself. If that happens, the judges could appear on stage as presenters to hand out an award.
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If the hit filmWickedgets nominated for several Oscars, especially in the categories of Best Picture, Best Actress (Cynthia Erivo) and Best Supporting Actress (Ariana Grande), then ratings for the telecast could rise in 2025, which will definitely benefit theAmerican Idolspecial. There’s really no downside to a post-Oscars sneak preview episode. After all,ABC executives need to do whatever they can to stop the declining ratings forAmerican Idol.
Our Take On American Idol Season 23 Airing A Post-Oscars Special
American Idol Rarely Premieres In March
American Idolseason 23 is premiering much later than usualfor the competition series. The only other seasons that debuted in March wereAmerican Idolseasons 16 and 17, which were the first two to air on ABC. After that, the show premiered in February. WhenAmerican Idolaired on FOX, aside from the inaugural season, which was a summer show that year, the series always launched in January.
ABC’s post-Oscars special will be a great way for all of us to get an early look at the new season ofAmerican Idol, especially to see how Carrie is as a judge. She wonAmerican Idolseason 4and became the most successful winner ever, but the question remains over whether that willtranslate into Carrie being a strong judge. She’s always been a bit reserved and shy, the complete opposite of Katy Perry.TheAmerican Idolspecial gives Carrie the chance to set the tonefor the entire season.
American Idolseason 23 premieres March 9 at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.
American Idol
Cast
American Idol is a reality singing competition that adds to the international “Idol” brand, conceived initially in the U.K. as Pop Idol. Holding massive auditions across the U.S., American Idol invited several contestants to perform in front of a panel of judges that would determine whether or not they’d go on to future rounds for a chance at competing in the fully televised premiere of the show. Contestants are voted off each week by American participation via voting through various mediums, and the winner of the competition would be given a contract with a record label to secure a future as America’s next musical idol.
