ABC The 'American Idol' season 19 cast
Long-running reality singing competition American Idol returns for its fourth season on ABC Sunday, February 14 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
If you don’t have cable, here’s how you can watch a live stream of American Idol online for free:
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FuboTV
You can watch a live stream of ABC (live in select 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 Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Samsung Smart TV, Android TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. You can also 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.
AT&T TV
You can watch a live stream of ABC (live in most markets) and 65-plus other TV channels via AT&T TV. ABC is included in every channel bundle, but the “Choice” and above packages come included with HBO Max and NBA League Pass at no cost, and you can try out any package for free with a 14-day trial:
Once signed up for AT&T TV, you can watch American Idol live on the AT&T TV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung Smart TV, iPhone, Android phone, iPad, or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the AT&T TV website.
If you can’t watch live, AT&T TV also comes with 20 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to 500 hours).
Vidgo
You can watch a live stream of ABC (live in select markets) and 65+ other TV channels on Vidgo, which you can try with a free seven-day 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, Android TV, 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 select markets) and 65+ other TV channels via Hulu With Live TV, which you can try out for free with a seven-day trial:
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 Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV, Android TV, 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 19 Preview
Sunday, February 14 marks the premiere of the 19th season of American Idol, the fourth on ABC. Ryan Seacrest returns as the host, Bobby Bones is the in-house mentor, and Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan return as the judges.
According to the ABC press release, “After a nationwide search for talent, viewers will embark on a journey with our judges in Los Angeles, California; San Diego, California; and Ojai, California, where the show’s iconic judge auditions will surprise audiences and hopefuls alike with never-before-seen twists.”
Contestants in the premiere episode include Claudia Conway, daughter of Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway. Other auditionees include Stephen Henry, Anilee List, Jason Warrior, Nia Renee, Mario Adrion, DJ Johnson, Ryan Romano, Jessica Smalley, Stelle Amor, Grace Kinstler, Benson Boone, and Bella Lucareli.
In episode two, airing Sunday, February 21, auditionees include Liahona Olayan, Ammon Olayan, Calvin Upshaw, Willie Spence, Yurisbel, Ace Stiles, Chayce Beckham, Anthony Guzman, Hannah Everhart, Amanda Mena, and Casey Bishop.
In a pre-show interview, Bones told Parade that the show realizes the large role social media plays in getting “discovered” in this day and age.
“Idol acknowledges the real world, meaning it’s aware that people are getting [known from] TikTok and Instagram. We’re like, ‘Great, come be exactly who you are, we’re not going to change you — let’s see how far your talent and your voice will take you.'”
He also teased some upcoming changes for Hollywood Week, saying, “We have changed the categories a bit where people get to choose their format. So that’s a change. In Hollywood Week, the judges went around into the rooms a bit more than ever before and worked with the contestants as well. We had duets last year, but the big twist this year was the judges paired people up.”
American Idol airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.