ABC AMERICAN IDOL Key Art.
The granddaddy of music competition shows is back when “American Idol” returns for its 21st season, premiering on Sunday, February 19 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
If you don’t have cable, you can watch a live stream of the show on FuboTV or DirecTV Stream, which both include ABC in the most markets and come with a free trial.
Those are the two best live stream options if you’re cutting cable, but there are also some other alternatives, so here’s a full guide on the different ways to watch “American Idol” streaming live online:
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FuboTV
You can watch a live stream of ABC (live in most markets) and 100-plus other TV channels on FuboTV, which comes with a seven-day free trial:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch “American Idol” live on the FuboTV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the FuboTV website.
If you can’t watch live, FuboTV comes with 250 hours of cloud DVR space, as well as a 72-hour look-back feature, which allows you to watch most shows on-demand within three days (and sometimes longer) of their conclusion, even if you don’t record them.
DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream has four different channel packages: “Entertainment,” “Choice,” “Ultimate” and “Premier.” ABC (live in most markets) is included in every one, and you can pick any package and any add-on you want with your free five-day trial:
Once signed up for DirecTV Stream, you can watch “American Idol” live on the DirecTV Stream app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the DirecTV Stream website.
If you can’t watch live, DirecTV Stream also comes with 20 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to unlimited hours).
Vidgo
You can watch a live stream of ABC (live in select markets) and 65+ other TV channels on Vidgo. This option doesn’t include a free trial:
Once signed up for Vidgo, you can watch “American Idol” live on the Vidgo app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad, or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Vidgo website.
Hulu With Live TV
You can watch a live stream of ABC (live in most markets) and 65+ other TV channels via Hulu With Live TV, which now also includes access to both ESPN+ and Disney+ at no added cost:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch “American Idol” live on the Hulu app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, PlayStation 4 or 5, Nintendo Switch, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Hulu website.
If you can’t watch live, Hulu with Live TV comes with both its extensive on-demand library (which includes most shows after they air) and 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials).
‘American Idol’ Season 21 Preview
Host Ryan Seacrest is back for his 21st season and judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie return for their sixth season of the long-running singing competition series “American Idol” this spring.
For season 6 on ABC, the show held live virtual auditions across all 50 states as part of its “Idol Across America” feature. But of course, they still held in-person auditions at several major cities. The first three episodes (at least) see Bryan, Perry and Richie head to New Orleans, Las Vegas and Nashville looking for music’s next superstar.
The show has released the names of a few season 21 contestants on the press site. They include Haven Madison, Tyson Venegas, L-Rich, Michael Williams, Lucy Love, Iam Tongi, Colin Stough, Jack Nicora, Kya Monee, Lyric Medeiros, Zachariah Smith, and a girl named Katey Parry.
In an interview with People, Seacrest teased that season 21 is “going to be really great.”
“We found some great contestants, a lot of country singers as one might expect,” said Seacrest, adding, “Every time we go out on the road we think, ‘OK, did we tap out on all the great talent?’ But what we’ve seen, honestly, is the contestants who are 7, 8, 9 years old, they practice like an athlete to audition when they can,” he continues. “They take it very seriously, whereas in the earlier years, they kind of just did it on a whim. These kids rehearse for it, and they treat it like an Olympic sport in a way.”
And in an interview with Parade, Bryan added that he tries to be as involved in the audition process as he can be during the producer auditions (which happen before the auditions in front of the judges).
“Megan [Michaels Wolflick], our showrunner, she texts the group several times, ‘Get ready, we’ve got great talent coming,’” said Bryan. “A lot of times I’ll be on TikTok or Instagram and I’ll see a kid singing and performing and I’ll send her a link. So, we all work as a big, happy family to put on the best show. That’s what we’re always working towards.”
He added, “I think that it’s really fun to go through the talent and try to help them and watch them grow. When you have a kid that comes in that’s pretty green and pretty shy and doesn’t know anything, and we get them from point A to B and then they can go make their career whatever they want it … just because you win doesn’t mean your ticket’s punched. You’ve still got to go out there and earn it. It’s certainly very, very rewarding being behind that judging table and helping them out. Telling them when they’re not ready is tough, but they need to hear that. Telling them when they are ready is pretty special.”
“American Idol” returns for its 21st season on Sunday, February 19 at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific times on ABC.