American Idol Leaves LA for Georgia Ahead of Season 25

American Idol will move production from Los Angeles to the Atlanta area for Season 25, following tax incentives as LA unscripted output collapses.

The long-running ABC music competition is moving production from Los Angeles to the Atlanta area for its upcoming 25th season, which is scheduled to premiere in 2027. According to Deadline reporting carried by The Times of India, Fremantle, which produces the series with Sony Pictures Television-backed 19 Entertainment, confirmed the relocation and is reportedly in final talks with a studio complex in the Atlanta area, though a deal has not yet been signed. The show was renewed for Season 25, its 10th on ABC, in July, and recently filmed at Red Studios in Hollywood.

The Times of India reports that Georgia offers up to a 30% tax credit for unscripted and reality productions spending at least $500,000 in the state, an incentive understood to be a main factor behind the move. The state has become a major filming hub outside Los Angeles and New York, hosting Marvel projects like Captain America: Brave New World and WandaVision along with unscripted fare such as Fox's The 1% Club and ABC's Press Your Luck. Idol's exit follows Fox moving The Masked Singer to New Jersey for its 15th season, which offers 30% tax credits and up to 40% for certain studio projects.

The departure lands at a painful moment for Los Angeles' unscripted sector. The Times of India cites FilmLA data showing unscripted productions recorded 40% fewer shoot days in LA in the second quarter of 2026 than in the same quarter of 2025, even as overall television production increased year over year. Over five years, unscripted production in the city has fallen 62.7% according to FilmLA figures. Notably, California's expanded tax-credit program under AB 1138 excluded traditional reality, game shows, talk shows and docufollow programming, and Idol reportedly did not qualify despite appearing to fit the competition-show budget bar.

The relocation is the latest in a string of changes for a show in transition. During its most recent season, per The Times of India, Idol introduced social voting, moved Hollywood Week to Nashville, shifted its broadcast night from Sunday to Monday and began streaming live on Disney+. Ryan Seacrest continues to host, and Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and Carrie Underwood served as judges last season; the trio is expected to return for Season 25, though their deals are still being negotiated. Megan Michaels Wolflick remains showrunner as the franchise preps its Georgia era.