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If you’re a fan of music and competition shows, look no further than American Idol. It’s the singing series that sparked several others because of its unique talent, judges, and performances. The show has produced many successes, and season 22 could see yet another star born. If you’re itching to see who wins this season, keep reading to discover how to watch American Idol live for free.
Created by Simon Fuller, American Idol is an American singing competition television series that premiered in 2002, underwent a two-year hiatus, and came back in 2018. The revival on ABC saw a completely new panel of judges, welcoming Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan to the three seats behind the big blue desk. American Idol discovers unsigned singing talent in hopes of turning them into recording stars. The show relies on viewers to vote for their favorites and determine each season’s winner. Previous winners whose music careers sky rocketed after performing on the American Idol stage include Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Jordin Sparks, Fantasia Barrino, Scotty McCreery, Phillip Phillips, and more. Former contestants who didn’t win but gained popularity and entered the mainstream include Jennifer Hudson, Adam Lambert, and Gabby Barrett.
In season 22, auditions took place in Georgia, Alabama, California, and Tennessee. After Hollywood week, 56 contestants moved on to the Showstopper round, in which they got to perform for the judges and a live audience. The judges narrowed it down to 24 contestants and then 20 the following week. The top 14 performed songs from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with Gene Simmons appearing as a guest mentor. The next week featured the top 12 and saw Meghan Trainor as a guest mentor. There are a few more themed weeks left and then the winner will be crowned in the grand finale on May 19, 2024.
If you’re a fan of singing competition television shows like The Voice and The Masked Singer, you’ve got to tune into the one that started it all: American Idol. Keep scrolling to find out how to watch American Idol live for free to see who comes out on top in season 22. Plus, it’s your last chance to see Katy Perry serve as a judge on the show.
When does American Idol air?
American Idol airs every Sunday and Monday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. The “Top 10,” “Judges Song Contest,” “Adele Night,” and “Disney Night,” are left in season 22. The finale will take place on May 19, 2024. However, the final three episodes—”Adele Night,” “Disney Night,” and “Grand Finale”—will only air on Sunday (no episodes on those Mondays).
How to watch American Idol live for free
American Idol airs on ABC, which is available to stream on services like DirecTV Stream, Fubo, and Hulu+ With Live TV. DirecTV Stream offers a five-day free trial, and starts at $79.99 per month after the trial ends. Fubo offers a seven-day free trial, and starts at $79.99 per month after the trial ends. While Hulu+ With Live TV doesn’t have a free trial, it is cheaper per month than the other options, starting at $68.99 per month, and offers plans that include free subscriptions to Disney Plus and ESPN Plus.
Best Overall Pick to Watch American Idol: DirecTV Stream’s Free Trial
Direct TV is our best overall pick to watch American Idol for free for its free trial, price, and channel selection. DirecTV Stream offers a five-day free trial. DirecTV offers four plans: Entertainment, which costs $79.99 per month; Choice, which costs $108.99 per month with the first two months at $83.99 per month; Ultimate, which costs $84.99 per month with the first two months at $94.99 per month; and Premiere, which costs $159.99 per month.
As for other differences between the plans, Entertainment includes more than 75 channels, the ability to stream on unlimited devices in your home, unlimited cloud DVR storage, and a special offer on premium channels. Choice, which is the most popular plan, includes more than 105 channels, regional sports networks, and everything included in Entertainment. Ultimate includes more than 140 channels and everything included in Entertainment and Choice. Premiere includes more than 150 channels including premium channels like HBO and Starz and everything included in Entertainment, Choice, and Premiere. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch American Idol with DirecTV Stream’s free trial.
- Visit streamtv.directv.com‘s packages page
- Click “Try It Free” for the plan of your choice
- Enter your information and payment method
- Search for ABC and start watching American Idol
Best Free Trial Pick to Watch American Idol: Fubo’s Free Trial
Fubo is our best free trial pick to watch American Idol live for free. Fubo offers a seven-day free trial (two days longer than DirecTV Stream) and offers offers two plans: Pro, which costs $79.99 per month; and Elite, which costs $89.99 per month.
As for the difference between the plans, Pro includes 180 channels, 1,000 hours of Cloud DVR, and the ability to watch on up to 10 screens at once. Elite includes everything in Pro, as well as a total of 256 channels and 4K resolution. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch American Idol with Fubo’s free trial.
- Visit Fubo.TV
- Click “Start Free Trial”
- Enter your information and payment method
- Search for ABC and start watching American Idol
Best Upgrade Pick to Watch American Idol: Hulu+ Live TV
Hulu+ With Live TV is our best upgrade pick to watch TK based on its channel selection and its free subscriptions to Hulu, Disney Plus, and ESPN Plus. Hulu+ With Live TV offers four plans: a $68.99 per month plan with access to only live TV; a $69.99 per month plan with free subscriptions to Hulu with ads, Disney Plus with ads, and ESPN Plus with ads; a $74.99 per month plan with free subscriptions to Hulu with ads, Disney Plus with no ads, and ESPN Plus with ads; and a $82.99 per month plan with free subscriptions to Hulu with no ads, Disney Plus with no ads, and ESPN Plus with ads. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how to watch American Idol with Hulu+ Live TV.
- Visit Hulu.com/liveTV
- Click “Sign Up Now”
- Enter your information and payment method
- Search for ABC and start watching American Idol
Who’s in the American Idol Cast?
Here’s a full list of the American Idol cast for season 22:
Top 10
- Abi Carter
- Will Moseley
- Mia Matthews
- Jack Blocker
- Emma Russell
- Triston Harper
- Julia Gagnon
- Kaibrienne
- McKenna Faith Breinholt
- KAYKO
Who are the American Idol judges?
Who are the American Idol judges for season 22? Singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality Lionel Richie, singer, songwriter, and television personality Katy Perry, and country singer, songwriter, and television personality Luke Bryan are back behind the big blue desk. All three have been judges since the 2018 ABC revival of American Idol (season 16). Perry announced that season 22 will mark her final season on American Idol.
Who hosts American Idol?
Ryan Seacrest has been the show’s only host since the series premiered in 2002. Technically, Seacrest co-hosted the first season alongside Brian Dunkleman, but the very next season, Dunkleman left the show. Since then, Seacrest has been the sole host of American Idol, except for the seasons between 2016 and 2019 due to illness.