Fremantle confirms the ABC singing competition is relocating its production base to Georgia ahead of its 25th season, citing tax incentives and a broader decline in Los Angeles unscripted production.
American Idol is moving production of its 25th season from Los Angeles to the greater Atlanta area in Georgia, producer Fremantle confirmed this week, according to reports first published by Deadline on September 15, 2026. The relocation ends more than two decades of production tied to Los Angeles for the ABC singing competition, which has broadcast live from the city since it debuted in 2002.
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Why the Show Is Leaving Los Angeles
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Fremantle, which produces American Idol alongside Sony Pictures Television-backed 19 Entertainment, confirmed that Season 25, set to premiere in early 2027, will film in Georgia rather than California. Georgia offers up to a 30% tax credit for unscripted and reality productions that spend at least $500,000 in the state, according to Deadline and other outlets. California recently expanded its own tax credit program to cover some unscripted shows under legislation known as AB 1138, but that program only applies to competition series with production budgets of at least $1 million per episode. Reports indicate American Idol does not meet that threshold, leaving it unable to access California's incentive.
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Los Angeles Production Decline
The move comes amid a steep drop in unscripted production in Los Angeles. FilmLA, the nonprofit that tracks location permits in the city, reported that unscripted production has fallen 62.7% over the past five years. In the second quarter of 2026 alone, unscripted productions recorded 40% fewer shoot days compared with the same period in 2025. Variety and the Los Angeles Times both described the American Idol departure as another blow to an already production-starved Los Angeles market, while other outlets characterized it as part of a broader "Hollywood flight" of reality programming to states offering stronger financial incentives.
No changes to the show's creative format have been reported; the relocation is described across coverage as logistical and financial rather than editorial. ABC and the producers have not indicated plans to return production to Los Angeles in future seasons, with outlets framing the Georgia move as part of a long-term shift rather than a temporary adjustment for Season 25.
