KEY POINT
- American Idol will film its upcoming season in the Atlanta area after years of production in Los Angeles.
- Georgia offers reality television productions tax incentives of up to 30% for qualifying projects.
- FilmLA reported that reality production in Los Angeles has fallen nearly 63% over five years.
The relocation marks a major change for a program that has been associated with Hollywood since its launch on Fox in 2002. The show later moved to ABC, which announced in July that American Idol would return for its 10th season on the Walt Disney Co. network.
Fremantle, which produces the competition with Sony Pictures Television-owned 19 Entertainment, confirmed the production move but declined to provide additional comment. The most recent season was filmed at Red Studios in Hollywood.
The upcoming season is already moving into its contestant-selection phase. Producers are holding auditions this week across Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina as the program prepares for its return.
Ryan Seacrest remains the longtime host. Last season’s judging panel included Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan and Carrie Underwood, continuing the program’s established format of combining celebrity judges with aspiring singers.
The move comes as Los Angeles continues to struggle with reduced television production. FilmLA reported a 27% year-over-year decline in TV production activity across the region during the second quarter, with fewer reality television shoots contributing to the drop.
Reality programming has been particularly affected. FilmLA said the number of reality productions in Los Angeles has fallen almost 63% over the past five years, putting additional pressure on workers, unions and officials seeking to retain productions locally.
Georgia has become a competitive destination because of its production incentives. Reality television projects that spend at least $500,000 in the state can qualify for tax credits of up to 30%, creating a financial advantage for productions weighing where to film.
California has also expanded its film and television tax credit program to cover competition shows. That change helped increase California shoot days from 463 in the first quarter to 676 in the second, although the second-quarter total remained nearly 40% below the same period a year earlier.
American Idol is not the only established program leaving Los Angeles. Fox’s The Masked Singer has also planned a move to New Jersey, while several game shows have shifted production overseas to Ireland and Britain to take advantage of tax incentives.
American Idol is scheduled to return to ABC for its 10th season, with production moving to the Atlanta area and auditions underway in the Southeast.
Source: Los Angeles Times; Deadline; FilmLA; Fremantle; ABC.
