American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment. It began airing on Fox on June 11, 2002, as an addition to the Idol franchise based on the UK show Pop Idol, and became one of the most popular shows in the history of American television. As of 2011, it was the most watched TV series in the Nielsen ratings and the only program to have been number one for seven consecutive seasons.^[1]

The concept of the series is to find new solo recording artists where the winner is determined by the viewers. Winners chosen by viewers through telephone, Internet, and SMS text voting were Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, Jordin Sparks, David Cook, Kris Allen, Lee DeWyze, Scotty McCreery and Phillip Phillips.

The series employs a panel of judges who critique the contestants' performances. The original three judges were record producer and music manager Randy Jackson, pop singer and choreographer Paula Abdul and music executive and manager Simon Cowell. The judging panel currently consists of Jackson, singer/actress and record producer Jennifer Lopez and Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler. Other judges who have been a part of the show are songwriter Kara DioGuardi and talk show personality and comedian Ellen DeGeneres. The series is emceed by radio personality Ryan Seacrest and originally co-hosted with stand-up comedian Brian Dunkleman (for the first season).

The series was described by rival TV executives as "the most impactful show in the history of television."^[2] It has also become a recognized springboard for launching the career of many artists as bona fide stars. As Entertainment Weekly puts it, "It's given us Kelly, Carrie, Daughtry, and J. Hud.. Idol rules the reality roost because the winners of Fox's ratings juggernaut actually do go on to greatness. And Taylor Hicks? He's the exception that proves the rule."^[3]

History[link]

Former logo of American Idol from 2002 to 2008.

American Idol was created based on the British show Pop Idol, which was in turn inspired by Popstars, a show TV producer Nigel Lythgoe saw in Australia and brought over to Britain.^[4] Using the idea from Popstars of employing a panel of judges to select singers in audition, then adding other elements such as telephone voting by the viewing public (which at the time was already in use in shows such as the Eurovision Song Contest) and the drama of backstories and real-life soap opera unfolding in real time, Simon Fuller then created Pop Idol.^[5] The show debuted in 2001 in Britain with Lythgoe as the producer and Simon Cowell as one of the judges, and was a big success with the viewing public.^[6]

Fuller and Cowell attempted to sell the Pop Idol format to the U.S. in 2001, but the idea was met with poor response from U.S. TV networks.^[7] However, Rupert Murdoch, head of Fox's parent company, was persuaded to buy the show by his daughter Elisabeth, who was a fan of the British show.^[7] The show was renamed American Idol: The Search for a Superstar and debuted in the summer of 2002, and became one of the summer hit shows that year.^[8][9] The show, with the personal engagement of the viewers with the contestants through voting, and the presence of the caustic-tongue judge Simon Cowell, grew into a phenomenon. By 2005 it had become the biggest show on U.S. TV, a position it then held on for seven straight years. Unless renewed, the show is scheduled to remain on air until 2013.^[10]

Judges and hosts[link]

The show had originally planned on having four judges following the Pop Idol format, however only three judges had been found by the time of the audition round in the first season, namely Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell.^[7] A fourth judge, radio DJ Stryker, was originally chosen but he dropped out citing "image concerns".^[11] In the second season, New York radio personality Angie Martinez had been hired as a fourth judge but withdrew only after a few days of auditions due to not being comfortable with giving out criticism.^[12] The show decided to continue with the three judges format until season 8. All three original judges stayed on the judging panel for eight seasons.

In season eight, Latin Grammy Award-nominated singer–songwriter and record producer Kara DioGuardi was added as a fourth judge. She stayed for two seasons and left the show before season ten.^[13] Paula Abdul left the show before season nine after failing to agree terms with the show producers.^[14] Emmy Award-winning talk show host Ellen DeGeneres replaced Paula Abdul for that season, but left after just one season.^[15] On January 11, 2010, Simon Cowell announced that he was leaving the show to pursue introducing the American version of his show The X Factor to the USA for 2011.^[16] On September 22, 2010, it was announced that Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler would join the judging panel.^[17]

Guest judges may occasionally be introduced. In season two, guest judges such as Lionel Richie and Robin Gibb were used, and in season three Donna Summer, Quentin Tarantino and some of the mentors also joined as judges to critique the performances in the final rounds. Guest judges were used in the audition rounds for seasons four, six and nine, such as Gene Simmons and LL Cool J in season four, Jewel and Olivia Newton-John in season six, and Neil Patrick Harris, Shania Twain, Mary J. Blige, Joe Jonas and Katy Perry in season nine.

The first season was co-hosted by Ryan Seacrest and Brian Dunkleman. Dunkleman quit thereafter,^[18] making Seacrest the sole emcee of the show ever since.

Note: Bold print indicates current main cast members.

Selection process[link]

In a series of steps, the show selects the eventual winner out of many tens of thousands of contestants.

Contestant eligibility[link]

The eligible age-range for contestants is currently fifteen to twenty-eight years old. The initial age limit was sixteen to twenty-four in the first three seasons, but the upper limit was raised to twenty-eight in season four, and the lower limit was reduced to fifteen in season ten. The contestants must be legal U.S. residents, cannot have advanced beyond particular stages of the competition (vary depending on the season) in previous seasons of American Idol, and must not hold any current recording or talent representation contract by the semi-final stage^[19] (in previous years by the audition stage).^[20]

Initial auditions[link]

Contestants go through at least three sets of cuts. The first is a brief audition with a few other contestants in front of selectors which may include one of the show's producers. The number of auditionees can exceed 10,000 people in each city, but only a few hundred in each city may make it past this round of preliminary auditions. Successful auditionees then sing in front of producers where more may be cut. Only then can they proceed to audition in front of the judges, which is the only audition stage shown on television.^[21] Those selected by the judges are sent to Hollywood. Between 10–60 people in each city may make it to Hollywood.

Hollywood week and Las Vegas round[link]

Once in Hollywood, the contestants perform individually or in groups in a series of rounds. Until season ten, there were usually three rounds of eliminations in Hollywood. In the first round the contestants emerged in groups but performed individually. For the next round, the contestants put themselves in small groups and perform a song together. In the final round, the contestants perform solo with a song of their choice a cappella or accompanied by a band—depending on the season. In seasons two and three, contestants were also asked to write original lyrics or melody in an additional round after the first round. In season seven, the group round was eliminated and contestants may, after a first solo performance and on judges approval, skip a second solo round and move directly to the final Hollywood round.

Starting in season ten, a further round was added in Las Vegas where the contestants perform in groups based on a theme, followed by one final solo round to determine the semi-finalists. At the end of this stage of the competition, 24 to 36 contestants are selected to move on to the semi-final stage.

Audience voting[link]

From the semifinal onwards, the fate of the contestants is decided by public vote. During the contestant's performance as well as the recap at the end, a toll-free telephone number for each contestant is displayed on the screen. For a two-hour period after the episode ends (up to four hours for the finale) in each US time zone, viewers may call or send a text message to their preferred contestant's telephone number, and each call or text message is registered as a vote for that contestant. Viewers are allowed to vote as many times as they can within the two-hour voting window, however, the show reserves the right to discard votes by power dialer.^[22] One or more of the least popular contestants may be eliminated in successive weeks until a winner emerges. Over 110 million votes were cast in the first season, and by season ten the seasonal total had increased to nearly 750 million. Voting via text messaging was made available in the second season when AT&T Wireless joined as a sponsor of the show, and 7.5 million text messages were sent to American Idol that season.^[23] The number of text messages rapidly increased, reaching 178 million texts by season eight.^[24] Online voting was offered for the first time in season ten. The votes are counted and verified by Telescope Inc.^[25]

Semi-finals[link]

In the first three seasons, as well as season eight, ten and eleven, the semi-finalists were split into different groups to perform individually in their respective night. In season one, there were three groups of ten, with the top three contestants from each group making the finals. In seasons two and three, there were four groups of eight, and the top two of each selected. In season eight there were three groups of twelve, with three contestants moving forward – the highest male, the highest female, and the next highest-placed singer. In season ten and eleven, the girls and boys perform on separate nights and five of each were chosen. These six seasons also featured a wildcard round where contestants who failed to qualify were given another chance. In season one, only one wildcard contestant was chosen by the judges, giving a total of ten finalists. In seasons two and three, each of the three judges championed one contestant with the public advancing a fourth into the finals, making 12 finalists in all. In season eight, four were chosen by the judges to produce a final 13. In season ten and eleven, three wildcards were chosen, again making a total of 13.

From seasons four to seven and nine, the twenty-four semi-finalists were divided by gender in order to ensure an equal gender division in the top twelve. The men and women sang separately on consecutive nights, and the bottom two in each groups were eliminated each week until only six of each remained to form the top twelve.

Finals[link]

The finals are broadcast in prime time from CBS Television City in Los Angeles, in front of a live studio audience. The finals lasted eight weeks in season one, eleven weeks in subsequent seasons until season ten which lasted twelve weeks. Each finalist performs songs based on a weekly theme which may be a musical genre such as Motown, disco, or big band, songs by artists such as Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley or The Beatles, or more generic themes such as Billboard Number 1 hits or songs from the contestant's year of birth. Contestants usually work with a celebrity mentor related to the theme. In season ten, Jimmy Iovine was brought in as a mentor for the season. Initially the contestants sing one song each week, but this is increased to two songs from top four or five onwards, then three songs for the top two or three.

The most popular contestants are usually not revealed in the results show, instead typically the three contestants (two in later rounds) who received the lowest number of votes are called to the center of the stage. One of these three is sent to safety, the two remaining however need not both be ones with the fewest votes.^[26] The contestant with the fewest votes is then revealed and eliminated from the competition. A montage of the eliminated contestant is played and they give their final performance. However, starting in season eight, the judges may overturn viewers' decision with a "Judges' Save" – they can save a contestant on a unanimous decision, but two will be eliminated the following week, except for season 11 when only one was sent home after the save. The save can only be used once, and only before top five.

In the finale, the two remaining contestants perform to determine the winner. For the first six seasons, apart from season two, the finale was broadcast from the Kodak Theatre, which has an audience capacity of approximately 3,400. The finale for season two took place at the Gibson Amphitheatre. From season seven onwards, the venue was changed to the Nokia Theatre, which holds an audience of over 7,000. A special two-hour results show the next night follows where the winner is announced at the end.

Rewards for winner and finalists[link]

The winner receives a record deal with a major label, which may be for up to six albums,^[27][28] and secures a management contract with American Idol-affiliated 19 Management (which has the right of first refusal to sign all contestants), as well as various lucrative contracts. All winners prior to Season 9 reportedly earned at least $1 million in their first year as winner.^[28] All the runners-up of the first ten seasons, as well as some of other finalists, have also received record deals with major labels. However, starting in season 11, the runner-up may only be guaranteed a single-only deal.^[29] All top 10 (11 in season 10) finalists earn the privilege of going on a tour where the participants may each earn a six-figure sum.^[30]

19 Recordings, a recording label owned by 19 Entetainment, currently hold the rights to phonographic material recorded by all the contestants. 19 originally partnered with Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG) to distribute the recordings through its labels RCA Records, Arista Records, J Records, Jive Records. In 2005-2007, BMG partnered with Sony Music Entertainment to form a joint venture known as Sony BMG Music Entertainment. From 2008-2010, Sony Music handled the distribution following their acquisition of BMG. Prominent music mogul Clive Davis also produced some of the selected contestants' albums, such as Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken, Fantasia Barrino and Diana DeGarmo. Beginning 2011, following a nine-season deal, 19 Recordings formed a partnership with Universal Music Group through its labels Interscope Records, Geffen Records, A&M Records and A&M/Octone Records.

Series overview and season synopses[link]

Each season premieres with the audition round, taking place in different cities. The audition episodes typically feature a mix of potential finalists, interesting characters and woefully inadequate contestants. Each successful contestant receives a golden ticket to proceed on to the next round in Hollywood. Based on their performances during the Hollywood round, 24 to 36 contestants are selected by the judges to participate in the semifinals. From the semifinal onwards the contestants perform their songs live, with the judges making their critiques after each performance. The contestants are voted for by the viewing public, and the outcome of the public votes is then revealed in the results show typically on the following night. The results shows feature group performances by the contestants as well as guest performers. The Top-three results show also features the homecoming events for the Top 3 finalists. The season reaches its climax in a two-hour results finale show where the winner of the season is revealed.

With the exception of seasons one and two, the contestants in the semifinals onwards perform in front of a studio audience. They perform with a full band in the finals. From season four to season nine, the American Idol band was led by Rickey Minor; from season ten onwards, Ray Chew. Assistance may also be given by vocal coaches and song arrangers, such as Michael Orland and Debra Byrd to contestants behind the scene. Starting with season seven, contestants may perform with a musical instrument from the Hollywood rounds onwards. In the first nine seasons, performances were usually aired live on Tuesday nights, followed by the results shows on Wednesdays in the United States and Canada, but moved to Wednesdays and Thursdays in season ten.

Season 1[link]

Kelly Clarkson, season one winner

The first season of American Idol debuted as a summer replacement show in June 2002 on the Fox network. It was co-hosted by Ryan Seacrest and Brian Dunkleman.

In the audition rounds, 121 contestants were selected from around 10,000 who attended the auditions. These were cut to 30 for the semifinal, with ten going on to the finals. One semifinalist, Delano Cagnolati, was disqualified for lying to escape the show's age cutoff. One of the early favorites to win the show, Tamyra Gray, was eliminated at the top four, the first of several such shock eliminations that were to be repeated in later seasons. Christina Christian was hospitalized before the top six result show due to chest pains and palpitations, and she was eliminated while she was in the hospital.^[31] Jim Verraros was the first openly gay contestant on the show; his sexual orientation was revealed in his online journal, however it was removed during the competition after a request from the show producers over concerns that it might be unfairly influencing votes.^[32]

The final showdown was between Justin Guarini, one of the favorites, and Kelly Clarkson. Clarkson was not initially thought of as a contender,^[33] but impressed the judges with some good performances in the final rounds, such as her performance of Aretha Franklin's "Natural Woman", and Betty Hutton's "Stuff Like That There", and eventually won the crown on September 4, 2002.

In what was to become a tradition, Clarkson performed the coronation song during the finale, and released the song immediately after the season ended. The single, "A Moment Like This", went on to break a 38-year-old record held by The Beatles for the biggest leap to number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Justin Guarini did not release any song immediately after the show and remains the only runner-up not to do so. Both Clarkson and Guarini made a musical film, From Justin to Kelly, which was released in 2003 but was widely panned. Clarkson has since become the most successful Idol contestant around the world, with worldwide album sales of more than 23 million.^[34]

Starting September 30, 2006, this season was repackaged as "American Idol Rewind" and syndicated directly to stations in the US.

Season 2[link]

Ruben Studdard, season two winner

Following the success of season one, the second season was moved up to air in January 2003. The number of episodes increased, as did the show's budget and the charge for commercial spots. Dunkleman left the show, leaving Seacrest as the lone host. Kristin Adams was originally announced as a co-host,^[35] but her role was reduced to special correspondent upon airing.

Corey Clark was disqualified during the finals for having an undisclosed police record, however, he later alleged that he and Paula Abdul had an affair while on the show and that this contributed to his expulsion. Clark also claimed that Abdul gave him preferential treatment on the show due to their affair. The allegations were dismissed by Fox after an independent investigation.^[36] Two semi-finalists were also disqualified that year – Jaered Andrews for an arrest on an assault charge, and Frenchie Davis for having previously modelled for an adult website.^[37]

Ruben Studdard emerged as the winner, beating Clay Aiken by a small margin. Out of a total of 24 million votes, Studdard finished just 134,000 votes ahead of Clay Aiken. This slim margin was controversial due to the large number of calls that failed to get through.^[38] In an interview prior to season five, executive producer Nigel Lythgoe indicated that Aiken had led the fan voting from the wildcard week onward until the finale.^[39]

Both finalists were successful after the show, but Clay Aiken out-performed Ruben's coronation song "Flying Without Wings" with his single release from the show "This Is the Night", as well as in their subsequent album releases. The fourth-place finisher Josh Gracin also enjoyed some success as a country singer.

Season 3[link]

Fantasia Barrino, season three winner

Season three premiered on January 19, 2004. One of the most talked-about contestants during the audition process was William Hung whose off-key rendition of Ricky Martin's "She Bangs" received widespread attention. His exposure on Idol landed him a record deal and surprisingly he became the third best-selling singer from that season.^[40]

Much media attention on the season had been focused on the three black singers, Fantasia Barrino, LaToya London, and Jennifer Hudson, dubbed the Three Divas. All three unexpectedly landed on the bottom three on the top seven result show, with Jennifer Hudson controversially eliminated.^[41] Elton John, who was one of the mentors that season, called the results of the votes "incredibly racist."^[42] The prolonged stays of John Stevens and Jasmine Trias in the finals, despite negative comments from the judges, had aroused resentment, so much so that John Stevens reportedly received a death threat, which he dismissed as a joke 'blown out of proportion'.^[43]

The performance of "Summertime" by Fantasia Barrino, later known simply as "Fantasia", at Top 8 was widely praised, and Simon Cowell considered it as his favorite Idol moment in the nine seasons he was on the show.^[44] Fantasia and Diana DeGarmo were the last two finalists remaining at the finale, and Fantasia was crowned as the winner. Fantasia released as her coronation single "I Believe", a song co-written by season one finalist Tamyra Gray, and Diana DeGarmo released "Dreams". Fantasia went on to gain some successes as a recording artist, whilst Jennifer Hudson, who placed seventh became the only Idol-contestant so far to win both an Academy Award and a Grammy.

Season 4[link]

Carrie Underwood, season four winner

Season four premiered on January 18, 2005; this was the first season of the series to be aired in high definition, although the finale of season three was also aired in high definition. The number of those attending the auditions by now had increased to over 100,000 from the 10,000 of the first season. The age limit was raised to 28 in this season,^[20] among those who benefited from this new rule were Constantine Maroulis and Bo Bice, "the two rockers" of the show. The presence of more rock-oriented contestants inspired more rock musicians to audition in later seasons, such as Chris Daughtry in season five.

The top 12 finalists originally included Mario Vazquez, but he dropped out citing 'personal reasons'^[45] and was replaced by Nikko Smith. Later, an employee of Freemantle Media which produces the show sued the company for wrongful termination, claiming that he was dismissed after complaining about lewd behavior by Mario Vazquez toward him during the show.^[46]

At top 11, due to a mix-up with the contestants' telephone number, voting was repeated on what was normally the result night, with the result reveal postponed until the following night.

In May 2005, Carrie Underwood was announced to be the winner, with Bo Bice the runner-up. Both Carrie Underwood and Bo Bice released the coronation song "Inside Your Heaven". Carrie Underwood has since become the most successful Idol contestant in the U.S. in terms of album sales, selling over 12 million units.

Season 5[link]

Taylor Hicks, season five winner

Season five began on January 17, 2006. It remains the highest-rated season in the show's run so far. Two of the more prominent contestants during the Hollywood round were the Brittenum twins who were later disqualified for identity theft.^[47]

Chris Daughtry's performance of Fuel's "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)" on the show was widely praised and led to an invitation to join the band as Fuel's new lead singer, an invitation he declined.^[48] His performance of Live's version of "I Walk the Line" was well received by the judges but later criticized in some quarters for not crediting the arrangement to Live.^[49] He was eliminated at the top four in a shock result.

On May 30, 2006, Taylor Hicks was named American Idol, with Katharine McPhee the runner-up. "Do I Make You Proud" was released as Taylor Hicks' first single and "My Destiny" Katharine McPhee's. Katherine McPhee is currently starring in the TV series Smash.

Despite being eliminated earlier than expected, Chris Daughtry a.k.a. Daughtry became the most successful contestant in the recording industry this season. Other contestants, such as Taylor Hicks, Katherine McPhee, Bucky Covington, Mandisa, Kellie Pickler, and Elliott Yamin have had varying levels of success. This season remains the most productive in the number of successful recording artists it generated.

Season 6[link]

Jordin Sparks, season six winner

Season six began on Tuesday, January 16, 2007. The premiere drew a massive audience of 37.3 million viewers, peaking in the last half hour with more than 41 million viewers.^[50]

Teenager Sanjaya Malakar was the season's most talked-about contestant for his unusual hairdo,^[51] and for managing to survive elimination for many weeks due in part to the weblog Vote for the Worst and satellite radio personality Howard Stern, who both encouraged fans to vote for him. However, on April 18, Sanjaya was voted off.^[52] Semi-finalist Antonella Barba also drew some attention due to racy photographs of her which emerged during the show.

This season saw the first ever Idol Gives Back telethon-inspired event, which raised more than $76 million in corporate and viewer donations.^[53] No contestant was eliminated that week, but two, Phil Stacey and Chris Richardson, were eliminated the next. Melinda Doolittle, an early favorite, was eliminated on top three.

On the May 23, 2007, season finale, Jordin Sparks was declared the winner against runner-up Blake Lewis. Sparks has enjoyed some success as a recording artist post-Idol.

This season also saw the launch of the American Idol Songwriter contest which allowed fans to vote for the "coronation song". Thousands of recordings of original songs were submitted by songwriters, and 20 entries selected for the public vote. The winning song, "This Is My Now", was performed by both finalists during the finale and released by the winner Jordin Sparks on May 24, 2007.

Season 7[link]

David Cook, season seven winner

Season seven premiered on January 15, 2008, for a two-day, four-hour premiere. The media focused on the professional status of the season seven contestants, the so-called 'ringers',^[54] many of whom had prior records deals, such as Kristy Lee Cook, Brooke White, Michael Johns, and in particular Carly Smithson.^[55] Contestant David Hernandez also attracted some attention due to his past working as a stripper.^[56]

For the finals, American Idol debuted a new state-of-the-art set and stage on March 11, 2008, along with a new on-air look. David Cook's performance of "Billie Jean" on top ten night was lauded by the judges, but provoked controversy when they apparently mistook the Chris Cornell arrangement to be David Cook's own even though the performance was introduced as Cornell's version. Cornell himself said he was 'flattered' and praised David Cook's performance.^[57] David Cook was taken to the hospital after the top nine performance show due to heart palpitations and high blood pressure.^[58]

David Archuleta's performance of John Lennon's "Imagine" was considered by many as one of the best of the season. Jennifer Lopez, who was brought in as a judge in season ten, cited it as a beautiful-song moment that she will never forget.^[59] Jason Castro's semi-final performance of "Hallelujah" also received considerable attention, and it propelled Jeff Buckley's version of the song to the top of the Billboard digital song chart.^[60][61] This is the first season whereby contestants' recordings were released onto iTunes after their performances, and although sales information were not released so as not to prejudice the contest, leaked information indicated contestants' songs frequently reached the top of iTunes sales chart.^[62]

Idol Gives Back returned on April 9, 2008, and raised $64 million for charity.^[53] The finalists were David Cook and David Archuleta, the first time in the show's history where neither of the top two were ever in the bottom three. David Cook was announced the winner of American Idol season seven on May 21, 2008, the first 'rocker' to win the show.

The American Idol Songwriter contest was also held this season. From ten of the most popular submissions, each of the final two contestants chose a song to perform, although neither of their selections was used as the "coronation song". The winning song, "The Time of My Life", was recorded by David Cook and released on May 22, 2008, and is the best-selling of all coronation songs to date. Both David Cook and David Archuleta are successful as recording artists.

Season 8[link]

Kris Allen, season eight winner

Season eight began on January 13, 2009. Mike Darnell, the president of alternative programming for Fox, stated that the season would focus more on the contestants' reality and emotional state,^[63] much early attention on the show was therefore focused on the widowerhood of Danny Gokey as well as characters like Tatiana Del Toro and Nick Mitchell.

In the first major change to the judging panel, a fourth judge, Kara DioGuardi, was introduced; Paula Abdul, however, left the show after the season ended. This was also the first season without executive producer Nigel Lythgoe who left to focus on the international versions of his show So You Think You Can Dance.^[64] The Hollywood round was moved to the Kodak Theatre for 2009 and was also extended to two weeks. Idol Gives Back was cancelled for this season due to the global recession at the time.

There were 13 finalists this season, but two were eliminated in its first result show of the finals. A new feature introduced was the "Judges' Save", and Matt Giraud was saved from elimination at the top seven by the judges when he received the fewest votes. The next week, Lil Rounds and Anoop Desai were eliminated.

The two finalists were Kris Allen and Adam Lambert, both of whom had previously landed in the bottom three at the top five. Kris Allen won the contest in the most controversial voting result since season two. It was claimed,^[65] later retracted,^[66] that 38 million of the 100 million votes cast on the night came from Kris Allen's home state of Arkansas alone, and that AT&T employees unfairly influenced the votes by giving lessons on power-texting at viewing parties in Arkansas.^[67]

Both Kris Allen and Adam Lambert released the coronation song, "No Boundaries" which was co-written by DioGuardi. Both also enjoyed some success as recording artists, although this is the first season in which the winner has failed to achieve gold album status, and none from that season achieved platinum album status in the US.

Season 9[link]

Lee DeWyze, season nine winner

Season nine premiered on January 12, 2010. The upheaval at the judging panel continued. Ellen DeGeneres joined as a judge to replace Paula Abdul at the start of Hollywood Week, however, she left after the season finished, as did Simon Cowell who left to launch the US version of The X Factor. Kara DioGuardi's contract was not renewed for the next season.

One of the most prominent auditioners that season was General Larry Platt whose performance of "Pants on the Ground" became a viral hit song.^[68]

Crystal Bowersox, who has Type-I diabetes, fell ill due to diabetic ketoacidosis on the morning of the girls performance night for the top 20 week and was hospitalized.^[69] The schedule was rearranged so the boys performed first and she could perform the following night instead; she later revealed that Ken Warwick, the show producer, wanted to disqualify her but she begged to be allowed to stay on the show.^[69]

Michael Lynche was the lowest vote getter at top nine and was given the Judges' Save. The next week Katie Stevens and Andrew Garcia were eliminated. That week Adam Lambert was invited back to be a mentor, the first Idol alum to do so. Idol Gives Back returned this season on April 21, 2010, and raised 45 million.^[53]

A special tribute to Simon Cowell was presented in the finale for his final season with the show. Many figures from the show's past, including Paula Abdul, made an appearance.

This was the second season where neither of the final two contestants, Lee DeWyze and Crystal Bowersox, had been in the bottom two or three. Lee DeWyze was declared the winner during the May 26 finale. No new song was used as coronation song this year; instead, the two finalists each released a cover song – Lee DeWyze chose U2's "Beautiful Day", and Crystal Bowersox chose Patty Griffin's "Up to the Mountain". This is the first season where neither finalist achieved significant album sales.

Season 10[link]

Scotty McCreery, season ten winner

Season ten of the series premiered on January 19, 2011. Many changes were introduced this season, from the format to the personnel of the show. Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler joined Randy Jackson as judges,^[17] while Nigel Lythgoe returned as executive producer. Jimmy Iovine, chairman of the Interscope Geffen A&M Records group, the new partner of American Idol, acted as the in-house mentor in place of weekly guest mentors,^[17] although in later episodes special guest mentors such as Beyoncé, will.i.am and Lady Gaga were brought in.

Season ten is the first to include online auditions where contestants could submit a 40 second video audition via Myspace.^[70] Karen Rodriguez was one such auditioner and reached the final rounds.

One of the more prominent contestants this year was Chris Medina, whose story of caring for his brain-damaged fiancée received widespread coverage. Medina was cut in the Top 40 round. Casey Abrams, who suffers from ulcerative colitis, was hospitalized twice and missed the Top 13 result show. The judges used their one save on Abrams in the Top 11, and as a result this was the first season that 11 finalists went on tour instead of 10. Also, following the judges using their save, Naima Adedapo and Thia Megia were both eliminated the following week.

Pia Toscano, one of the presumed favorites to advance far in the season, was unexpectedly eliminated on April 7, 2011, finishing in ninth place. Her elimination drew criticism from some former Idol contestants, as well as actor Tom Hanks.^[71]

The two finalists in 2011 were Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery, both teenage country singers. McCreery won the competition on May 25, 2011, being the youngest male winner and the fourth male in a row to win American Idol. McCreery released his first single, "I Love You This Big", as his coronation song, and Alaina released "Like My Mother Does". McCreery's debut album, Clear as Day, became the first debut album by an Idol winner to reach number one on the US Billboard 200 since Ruben Studdard's Soulful in 2003.^[72]

Season 11[link]

Season 11 premiered on January 18, 2012. On February 23, it was announced that one more finalist would join the Top 24 making it the Top 25, and that was Jermaine Jones. However, on March 14, Jones was disqualified in 12th place for concealing arrests and outstanding warrants.^[73] Jones however denied concealing his arrests.

Finalist Phillip Phillips suffered from kidney pain and was taken to hospital before the Top 13 results show, and later received medical procedure to alleviate a blockage caused by kidney stones.^[74] He was reported to have eight surgeries during his Idol run, and had considered quitting the show due to the pain.^[75] He will have an operation on his right kidney before the tour.

Jessica Sanchez received the fewest number of votes during the Top 7 week, and the judges decided to use their "save" option on her, making her the first female recipient of the save. The following week, Colton Dixon was the only contestant sent home, as opposed to two finalists as in previous seasons. Jessica Sanchez later made it to the final two (the first season where a recipient of the save reached the finale).

On May 23, 2012, Phillip Phillips won season eleven, with Jessica Sanchez the runner-up. Prior to the announcement of the winner, season five finalist Ace Young proposed marriage to season three runner-up Diana DeGarmo on stage; a proposal DeGarmo accepted.

Phillips released "Home" as his coronation song, while Sanchez released "Change Nothing".

Season 12[link]

On May 23, 2012, American Idol announced the cities that are slated to hold the season's auditions, starting in June.

Geographical, ethnic, and gender biases[link]

Since the show's inception in 2002, eight of the eleven Idol winners, including its first five, have come from the Southern United States.^[76] The three exceptions are: Jordin Sparks, who hails from Arizona; David Cook, hails from Missouri (which is considered part of the "Upland South",^[77] and was born in Houston and living in Tulsa at the time of his audition); and Lee DeWyze from Illinois. A large number of other notable finalists during the series' run have also hailed from the American South, including Clay Aiken, Kellie Pickler and Chris Daughtry, who are all from North Carolina.^[76] In 2012, an analysis of the 131 contestants who have appeared in the finals of all seasons of the show up to that point found that 48% have some connection to the Southern United States.^[78]

Data from Nielsen SoundScan, a music-sales tracking service, showed that of the 47 million CDs sold by Idol contestants through January 2010, 85 percent were by contestants with ties to the American South.^[76] Theories given for the success of Southerners on Idol have been: more versatility with musical genres, as the Southern U.S. is home to several music genre scenes; not having as many opportunities to break into the pop music business; and the strong heritage of music and singing, which is especially notable in the Bible Belt, where it's in church that many people get their start in public singing.^[76][79] At the time of the 2004 finals, which pitted North Carolina's Fantasia Barrino against Georgia's Diana DeGarmo, their Southern character, or character appealing to the South, was cited as reason for their success.^[80]

The show itself is particularly popular in the Southern United States, with households in the Southeastern United States 10% more likely to watch American Idol during the eighth season in 2009, and those in the East Central region, such as Kentucky, were 16 percent more likely to tune into the series.^[76] When asked about the appeal of Southern contestants, season five winner Taylor Hicks, from the state of Alabama said, "People in the South have a lot of pride ... So, they're adamant about supporting the contestants who do well from their state or region."^[76]

Also, from seasons seven through eleven, the title has been given to a good looking white boy who plays the guitar – a trend that Idol pundits call the “White guy with a guitar” or “WGWG” factor.^[81][82] Just hours before the season eleven finale, where Phillip Phillips was named the winner, Richard Rushfield, author of the book American Idol: The Untold Story, said, “You have this alliance between young girls and grandmas and they see it, not necessarily as a contest to create a pop star competing on the contemporary radio, but as…who’s the nicest guy in a popularity contest,” he says, “And that has led to this dynasty of four, and possibly now five, consecutive, affable, very nice, good-looking white boys.”^[82]

Controversy[link]

The show had been criticized in earlier seasons over the onerous contract contestants had to sign that gave excessive control to 19 Entertainment over their future career,^[83] and handed a large part of their future earnings to the management.^[84][85]

Individual contestants have generated controversy in this competition for their past actions,^[37][86] or for being 'ringers' planted by the producers.^[54] A number of contestants had been disqualified for various reasons, such as Joanna Pacitti in season eight for having alleged connections to executives at 19 Entertainment,^[87] and Chris Golightly of season nine for having an existing contract,^[88] although the show had been accused of double standard for disqualifying some but not the others.^[89]

Voting results have been a consistent source of controversy. The mechanism of voting had also aroused considerable criticisms, most notably in season two when Ruben Studdard beat Clay Aiken in a close vote,^[38] and in season eight, when the massive increase in text votes (100 million more text votes than season 7)^[24] fueled the texting controversy.^[67] Concerns about power voting have been expressed from the very first season.^[90] Since 2004, votes also have been affected to a limited degree by online community services such as DialIdol and Vote for the Worst.

[edit] Idol Gives Back

Idol Gives Back is a special charity event started in season six featuring performances by celebrities and various fund-raising initiatives. This event was also held in seasons seven and nine and has raised nearly $185 million in total.^[53]

Television ratings[link]

Seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) of American Idol on Fox. It is one of the highest-rated TV shows in the history of television.

Each U.S. network television season starts in late September and ends in late May, which coincides with the completion of May sweeps.

American Idol premiered in June 2002 and became the surprise summer hit show of 2002. The first show drew 9.9 million viewers, giving Fox the best viewing figure for the 8.30 pm spot in over a year.^[111] The audience steadily grew, and by finale night, the audience had averaged 23 million, with more than 40 million watching some part of that show.^[112] That episode was placed third amongst all age groups, but more importantly it led in the 18–49 demographic, the age group most valued by advertisers.^[9]

The growth continued into the next season, starting with a season premiere of 26.5 million.^[91] The season attracted an average of 21.7 million viewers, and was placed second overall amongst the 18–49 age group.^[113] The finale night when Ruben Studdard won over Clay Aiken was also the highest-rated ever American Idol episode at 38.1 million for the final hour.^[114] By season three, the show had become the top show in the 18–49 demographic^[114] a position it has held for all subsequent years up to and including season ten. By season four, American Idol had become the most watched series amongst all viewers on American TV, with an average viewership of 26.8 million.^[115] The show reached its peak in season five with numbers averaging 30.6 million.^[115]

Season six started with some the most watched ever episodes of American Idol, and many television executives had by then begun to regard the show as a programming force unlike any seen before,^[2] as its consistent dominance of up to two hours two or three nights a week exceeded the 30- or 60-minute reach of previous hits such as The Cosby Show. The show was dubbed "the Death Star",^[50] and competing networks often rearranged their schedules in order to minimize losses.^[2] However, season six also showed a steady decline in viewership over the course of the season. The season finale saw a drop in ratings of 16% from the previous year.^[114]

The loss of viewers continued into season seven. The premiere was down 11% among total viewers,^[91] and the results show in which Kristy Lee Cook was eliminated delivered its lowest-rated Wednesday show among the 18–34 demo since the first season in 2002.^[116] However, the ratings rebounded for the season seven finale with the excitement over the battle of the Davids, and improved over season six as the third most watched finale. The strong finish of season seven also helped Fox become the most popular TV network for the first time since its inception.^[117] Overall ratings for the season were down 10% from season six,^[118] General attrition of television audiences may be a reason for this ratings decline, which is in line with the fall in viewership across all networks due in part to the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike.^[119]

The declining trend however continued into season eight, as total viewers numbers fell by 5–10% for early episodes compared to season seven,^[120] and by 9% for the finale.^[92] In season nine, Idol's six-year extended streak of perfection in the ratings was broken, when NBC's coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympics on February 17 beat Idol in the same time slot with 30.1 million viewers over Idol's 18.4 million.^[121] Later in that same season, Dancing with the Stars on ABC drew more viewers than Idol on some episodes. Nevertheless, American Idol finished its ninth season as the most watched TV series for the sixth year running, breaking the previous record of five consecutive seasons achieved by CBS' All in the Family and NBC's The Cosby Show.^[122]

In season ten, the total viewer numbers for the first week of shows fell 12–13%, and by up to 23% in the 18–49 demo compared to season nine.^[105] Later episodes, however, retained viewers better, and by Top 8, the season-to-date total viewership was up from Season 9.^[123] The season ended on a high with a significant increase in viewership for the finale – up 12% for the adults 18–49 demo and a 21% increase in total viewers from the season nine finale.^[124] While the overall viewer number has increased this season, its viewer demographics have continued to age year on year – the median age this season was 47.2 compared to a median age of 32.1 in its first season.^[125]

Season eleven, however, suffered a steep drop in ratings, a drop attributed by some to the arrival of new shows such as The Voice and The X-Factor.^[126] The ratings for the first two episodes of season eleven fell 16–21% in overall viewer numbers and 24–27% in the 18/49 demo.^[108] The season eleven finale was seen by 21.5 million viewers and had a 6.4 demo rating, representing in a drop of 30% year-over-year.^[109] The average viewership for the season fell below 20 million viewers the first time since 2003, a drop of 23% in total viewers and 30% in the 18/49 demo. For the first time in eight years, American Idol lost the leading position in both the total viewers number and the 18/49 demo, coming in second to NBC Sunday Night Football.^[110]

Cultural impact[link]

Television[link]

The enormous success of the show and the revenue it generated was transformative for Fox Broadcasting Company.^[127] The show pushed Fox to become the number one TV network amongst adult 18–49,^[128] the key demographic coveted by advertisers, for an unprecedented seven consecutive years by 2011.^[129] Its success also helped lift the ratings of other shows that were scheduled around it such as House and Bones.^[2] The show, its creator Simon Fuller claimed, "saved Fox".^[130]

It spawned a number of similar singing competition shows, such as Rock Star, Nashville Star, a relaunched Star Search, The Voice, and The X Factor, although none have yet matched its success.^[131] Its format also served as blueprint for a generation of TV shows such as Dancing with the Stars, So You Think You Can Dance and America's Got Talent.^[132]

Music[link]

As one of the most successful shows on U.S. television history, American Idol has a strong impact not just on television, but also in the wider world of entertainment.^[133] It helped create a number of highly successful recording artists, such as Kelly Clarkson, Daughtry and Carrie Underwood, as well as others of varying notability.

Various American Idol alumni had success on various record charts around the world; in the U.S. they had achieved 314 number on the Billboard charts by 2012.^[134] According to Fred Bronson, author of books on the Billboard charts, no other entity has ever created as many hit-making artists and best-selling albums and singles.^[135] In 2007, American Idol was accounted for 2.1% of all music sales.^[136] Its alumni have a massive impact on radio; in 2007, American Idol had become "a dominant force in radio" according to the president of the research company Mediabase which monitors radio stations Rich Meyer.^[137] By 2010, four winners each had more than a million radio spins, with Kelly Clarkson leading the field with over four million spins.^[138]

As of 2012, the American Idol alumni in their post-Idol careers have amassed over 57 million albums and 100 million singles and digital track downloads in the United States alone.

Film and theater[link]

The impact of American Idol is also strongly felt in musical theatre, where many of Idol alumni have forged successful careers. The striking effect of former American Idol contestants on Broadway has been noted and commented on.^[139][140] The casting of a popular Idol contestant can lead to significantly increased ticket sales. Other alumni have gone on to work in television and films, the most notable being Jennifer Hudson who, on the recommendation of the Idol vocal coach Debra Byrd,^[141] won a role in Dreamgirls and subsequently received a Academy Award for her performance.

[edit] American Idol alumni accolades

Critical reception[link]

Early reviews were mixed in their assessment. Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly considered that "As TV, American Idol is crazily entertaining; as music, it's dust-mote inconsequential".^[142] Others, however, thought that "the most striking aspect of the series was the genuine talent it revealed".^[9] It was also described as a "sadistic musical bake-off",^[143] and "a romp in humiliation".^[144] Other aspects of the show have attracted criticisms. The product placement in the show in particular was noted,^[145] and some critics were harsh about what they perceived as its blatant commercial calculations – Karla Peterson of The San Diego Union-Tribune charged that American Idol is "a conniving multimedia monster" that has "absorbed the sin of our debauched culture and spit them out in a lump of reconstituted evil."^[146] The decision to send the season one winner to sing the national anthem at the Lincoln Memorial on the first anniversary of the September 11 attacks in 2002 was also poorly received by many. Lisa de Moraes of The Washington Post noted with satirical flair that "The terrorists have won" and, with a sideswipe at the show's commercialism and voting process, that the decision as to who "gets to turn this important site into just another cog in the 'Great American Idol Marketing Mandala' is in the hands of the millions of girls who have made American Idol a hit. Them and a handful of phone-redialer geeks who have been clocking up to 10,000 calls each week for their contestant of choice (but who, according to Fox, are in absolutely no way skewing the outcome)."^[147]

Some of the later writers about the show were more positive, Michael Slezak, again of Entertainment Weekly, thought that "for all its bloated, synthetic, product-shilling, money-making trappings, Idol provides a once-a-year chance for the average American to combat the evils of today's music business."^[148] Singer Sheryl Crow, who was later to act as a mentor on the show, however took the view that the show "undermines art in every way and promotes commercialism."^[149] Pop music critic Ann Powers nevertheless suggested that Idol has "reshaped the American songbook", "led us toward a new way of viewing ourselves in relationship to mainstream popular culture", and connects "the classic Hollywood dream to the multicentered popular culture of the future."^[150] Others focused on the personalities in the show; Ramin Setoodeh of Newsweek accused judge Simon Cowell's cruel critiques in the show of helping to establish in the wider world a culture of meanness, that "Simon Cowell has dragged the rest of us in the mud with him."^[151] Some such as singer John Mayer disparaged the contestants, suggesting that those who appeared on Idol are not real artists with self-respect.^[152]

Some in the entertainment industry were critical of the star-making aspect of the show. Usher, a mentor on the show, bemoaning the loss of the "true art form of music", thought that shows like American Idol made it seem "so easy that everyone can do it, and that it can happen overnight", and that "television is a lie".^[153] Musician Michael Feinstein, while acknowledging that the show had uncovered promising performers, said that American Idol "isn't really about music. It's about all the bad aspects of the music business – the arrogance of commerce, this sense of 'I know what will make this person a star; artists themselves don't know.' "^[154] That American Idol is seen to be a fast track to success for its contestants has been a cause of resentment for some in the industry. LeAnn Rimes, commenting on Carrie Underwood winning Best Female Artist in Country Music Awards over Faith Hill in 2006, said that "Carrie has not paid her dues long enough to fully deserve that award".^[155] It is a common theme that has been echoed by many others. Elton John, who had appeared as a mentor in the show but turned down an offer to be a judge on American Idol, commenting on talent shows in general said that "there have been some good acts but the only way to sustain a career is to pay your dues in small clubs",^[156] and Steven Tyler, appearing on Late Show with David Letterman on January 17, 2011 in a publicity drive as a judge for American Idol, said that "I've always thought that to be an American Idol or any kind of idol, you have to pay your dues, but today it's a different world."

The success of the show's alumni however has led to a more positive assessment of the show, and the show was described as having "proven it has a valid way to pick talent and a proven way to sell records".^[157] While the industry is divided on the show success, according to a CMT exec, reflecting on the success of Idol alumni in the country genre, "if you want to try and get famous fast by going to a cattle call audition on TV, Idol reasonably remains the first choice for anyone," and that country music and Idol "go together well."^[158]

American Idol has been nominated for Emmy's Outstanding Reality Competition Program for nine years but never won.^[159] Director Bruce Gower won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Series in 2009, and the show won a Creative Arts Emmys each in 2007 and 2008, three in 2009, and two in 2011, as well as a Governor's Award in 2007 for its Idol Gives Back edition. It won the People's Choice Award, which honors the popular culture of the previous year as voted by the public, for favorite competition/reality show in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011 and 2012.^[160] It won the first Critics' Choice Television Award in 2011 for Best Reality Competition.^[161]

Revenue and commercial ventures[link]

The American Idol Experience marquee sign

The dominance of American Idol in the ratings has made it the most profitable show in U.S. TV for many years. The show was estimated to generate $900 million for the year 2004 through sales of TV ads, albums, merchandise and concert tickets.^[130] By season seven, the show was estimated to earn around $900 million from its ad revenue alone, not including ancillary sponsorship deals and other income.^[162][163] One estimate puts the total TV revenue for the first eight seasons of American at $6.4 billion.^[164] Sponsors that bought fully integrated packages can expect a variety of promotions of their products on the show, such as product placement, adverts and product promotion integrated into the show, and various promotional opportunities.^[165] Other off-air promotional partners pay for the rights to feature "Idol" branding on their packaging, products and marketing programs.^[166] American Idol also partnered with Disney in its theme park attraction The American Idol Experience.

Advertising revenue[link]

American Idol became the most expensive series on broadcast networks for advertisers starting season four,^[167] and by the next season, it had broken the record in advertising rate for a regularly scheduled prime-time network series, selling over $700,000 for a 30-seconds slot,^[168] and reaching up to $1.3 million for the finale.^[169] Its ad prices reached a peak in season seven at $737,000.^[163] Estimated revenue more than doubled from $404 million in season three to $870 million in season six.^[170] While that declined from season eight onwards, it still earned significantly more than its nearest competitor,^[171][172] with advertising revenue topping $800 million annually.^[173]

Media sponsorship[link]

Ford Motor Company and Coca-Cola were two of the first sponsors of American Idol in its first season. The sponsorship deal cost around $10 million in season one,^[174] rising to $35 million by season 7,^[166] and between $50 to $60 million in season 10.^[175] The third major sponsor AT&T Wireless joined in the second season. iTunes joined in season seven.

American Idol prominent display of its sponsors' logo and products had been noted since the early seasons.^[9][112] By season six, Idol showed 4,349 product placements according to Nielsen Media Research.^[176] The branded entertainment integration had proved beneficial to its advertisers – promotion of AT&T text-messaging as a means to vote successfully introduced the technology into the wider culture,^[23][177] and Coca-Cola has seen its equity increased during the show.^[178]

• Coca-Cola – Cups bearing logo of Coca-Cola, and occasionally its subsidiary Vitaminwater,^[179] are featured prominently on the judges table. Contestants are shown between songs held in the "Coca-Cola Red Room," the show's equivalent of the green room. (The Coca-Cola logo however is obscured during rebroadcast in the UK which until 2011 banned product placement.^[180])
• Ford – Contestants appear in the special Ford videos on the results shows, and winners Kelly Clarkson, Taylor Hicks, and Kris Allen have also appeared in commercials for Ford.^[165] The final two each won a free Ford Mustang in seasons four, five and six, Ford Escape Hybrid in season seven, Ford Fusion Hybrid in season eight, Ford Fiesta in season nine, and 2013 Ford Fusion in season eleven. In season ten Scotty McCreery chose a Ford F-150 and Lauren Alaina chose Shelby Mustang. In the red room, there is a glass table with a Ford wheel as its base.
• AT&T – AT&T Mobility is promoted as the service provider for text-voting. AT&T created an ad campaign that centered on an air-headed teenager going around telling people to vote.
• Apple iTunes – Ryan Seacrest announces the availability of contestants' performances exclusively via iTunes. Videos are regularly shown of contestants learning their songs by rehearsing with iPods.
• Previous sponsors include Old Navy and Clairol's Herbal Essences. In seasons two and three, contestants sometimes donned Old Navy clothing for their performances with celebrity stylist Steven Cojocaru assisting with their wardrobe selection,^[181] and contestants received Clairol-guided hair makeovers. In the season seven finale, both David Cook and David Archuleta appeared in "Risky Business"-inspired commercials for Guitar Hero, a sponsor of the tour that year.

Coca-Cola's archrival PepsiCo declined to sponsor American Idol at the show's start. "[M]issing one of the biggest marketing opportunities in a generation" contributed to Pepsi losing market share, by 2010 falling to third place from second in the United States. PepsiCo sponsors the American version of Cowell's The X Factor in hopes of not repeating its Idol mistake.^[182]

Season 10 American Idol tour, Scotty McCreery performing with Thia Megia, Haley Reinhart and Pia Toscano.

American Idol tour[link]

The top ten (eleven in season ten) toured at the end of every season. Kellogg's Pop-Tarts was the sponsor for the first seven seasons, and Guitar Hero was added for the season seven tour. M&M's Pretzel Chocolate Candies was a sponsor of the season nine tour. The season five tour was the most successful tour with gross of over $35 million.^[183]

Music releases[link]

American Idol has traditionally released studio recordings of contestants' performances as well as the winner's coronation single for sale. For the first five seasons, the recordings were released as a compilation album at the end of the season. All five of these albums reached the top ten in Billboard 200 which made then American Idol the most successful soundtrack franchise of any motion picture or television program.^[184] Starting late in season five, individual performances were released during the season as digital downloads, initially from the American Idol official website only. In season seven the live performances and studio recordings were made available during the season from iTunes when it joined as a sponsor. In Season ten the weekly studio recordings were also released as compilation digital album straight after performance night.

For the first nine seasons, Sony Music was partnered with American Idol to promote and distribute its music, and had the right of first refusal to sign contestants for three months after the season's finale. In 2010, Sony was replaced by as the music label for American Idol by UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M Records.^[185]

Tie-ins[link]

American Idol video games

• American Idol – PlayStation 2, PC, Game Boy Advance, mobile phone
• Karaoke Revolution Presents American Idol – PlayStation 2, Xbox 360
• Karaoke Revolution Presents American Idol Encore – PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360
• Karaoke Revolution Presents American Idol Encore 2 – PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360
• Idol 011 – Wii, Xbox 360

Theme park attraction[link]

On February 14, 2009, The Walt Disney Company debuted "The American Idol Experience" at its Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. In this live production, co-produced by 19 Entertainment, park guests choose from a list of songs and audition privately for Disney cast members. Those selected then perform on a stage in a 1000-seat theater replicating the Idol set. Three judges, whose mannerisms and style mimic those of the real Idol judges, critique the performances.^[186] Audience members then vote for their favorite. There are several preliminary-round shows during the day that culminate in a "finals" show in the evening where one of the winners of previous rounds that day is selected as the overall winner.^[187] The winner of the finals show receives a "Dream Ticket" that grants them front-of-the-line privileges at any American Idol audition.^[186]

American Idol Experience stage

International broadcast[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

American Idol is broadcast to over 100 nations outside of the United States. In most nations these are not live broadcasts and may be tape delayed by several days or weeks. Episodes are aired live in Canada on CTV, but it may simsub over the Fox broadcast by cable and satellite systems, depending on provider and region.

It is also aired live in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico by XHRIO-TV in English because it is a Fox affiliate that serves a US market across the border; in the rest of the country, as of the rest of Latin America, the show is broadcast and subtitled by Sony Entertainment Television.

In southeast Asia, this show is brought to the audiences via satellite by STAR World every Thursday and Friday nine or ten hours after. Philippines airs episodes every Thursday and Friday nine or ten hours after its US telecast on ETC. Australia airs episodes a few hours after their US showing. The UK airs episodes one day after their US showing on digital channel ITV2. It is also aired in Ireland on TV3 two days after the showing. In Brazil and Israel, the show airs two days after the showing in the United States. In the instances where the airing is delayed, the shows may sometimes be combined into one episode to summarize the results.

NOTE: Some channels/TV networks may not be aired even when airing live broadcasts thus ether it will be pre-recorded or just televised it. Moreover, it depends it on other TV networks that broadcasts it.

Spin-offs[link]

See also[link]

• List of American Idol finalists

References[link]