AMERICAN Idol is set to make a major broadcast change as the new season heats up.

Not only is the hit singing competition series making a change to wear you can watch the show, but they are launching a spinoff show, too.

3
Lionel, Carrie, Luke and Ryan are back at the helm – but there are many differences this yearCredit: Getty
American Idol is officially expanding its live viewing experience to Disney+.

Beginning March 30, American Idol will stream live on Disney+, alongside its traditional broadcast on ABC.

In a bid to reach new audiences, those who use the Disney+ streaming service will now be able to watch the show live.

American Idol airs live on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. on ABC and streams next day on Hulu.

And from March 30 it will also stream live on Disney+ in addition to ABC in local time zones.

But this isn’t all, because the first-ever American Idol Official Podcast will launch on Disney+ and Hulu real soon.

The American Idol Official Podcast will debut on Disney+ and Hulu, coinciding with the start of the American Idol live shows.

“Each week, the podcast will dive deeper into America’s most iconic music competition series, exploring the performances everyone’s talking about, and offering exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes insights, and expert analysis of the judges’ critiques,” as per the press release.

This season, there have been several changes to the hit talent show.

Fans are now able to vote through their social media platforms.

According to showrunner Megan Michaels Wolflick, she had wanted to trial social media voting for the last five years, as it’s something no other major entertainment program has done before.

She said, “We have to meet the audience where they are. Back in 2002 when the show began, texting was the new hot thing.

“We also have to meet the technology where it is, as well. We want to make it as easy as possible for people to vote for their favorites, weigh in from their couch with their second screen, in real time.”

Megan believes social media voting will help to reach a younger crowd, which could tip the scale on the show’s success.

“If we can get Gen Alpha and Gen Z to weigh in a little bit more in the easiest way possible, that’s very exciting.

“It could tip the scale. Trends are always different.”

Another difference is that Hollywood week will be scrapped in favor of Nashville auditions.

RECOMMENDED STORIES

Megan explained how it’s exciting for the panel to try something different and to switch out something that was part of the contestants usual expectations.

“We don’t know [how it’s going to go] until we do it. I love that there’s something exciting about it,” she said.

3
Disney+ users will soon be able to watch American Idol on the streaming platformCredit: Getty