Fox announces final season of American Idol
American Idol will come to an end after its 15-season run as the show struggles to attract the massive audience it once did in its heyday.
Credit: Matthias Vriens-McGrath, FOX
The final season, which Fox said will be “a season-long celebratory event,” will begin in January 2016.
It will feature host Ryan Seacrest along with judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban, and Harry Connick, Jr.
The show began in 2002 and gained instant popularity. According to the Wall Street Journal, the singing competition hit its peak in 2006, drawing an average of 30 million viewers.
Yet excitement around the series has dwindled in recent years. In 2014, both Coca-Cola and AT&T announced that they would be no longer serve as sponors for the show.
After original judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson left the show, even celebrity judges including Mariah Carey and Ellen DeGeneres had a difficult time reviving its spark.
The company is yet to reveal its advertising partner for the final show.
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