Ryan Seacrest Finalizes ‘American Idol’ Deal for 2026

As expected, the band will be back together on American Idol in the coming season.

Host Ryan Seacrest has signed on to return as host of the talent competition for its ninth season on ABC and 24th overall — for both the show and Seacrest, the only on-camera personality who has been with the show for its entire run to date. Seacrest’s deal closing comes two weeks after judges Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and Carrie Underwood signed new agreements for the 2026 edition.

Seacrest’s new deal comes as American Idol is beginning its new production cycle, with virtual auditions taking place for the next couple of weeks. It’s become customary in recent years for Seacrest and the Idol judges to ink new deals just before the next season gets rolling.

Last season, American Idol drew 7.25 million cross-platform viewers over five weeks for Sunday-night episodes, while the handful of Monday shows came in a bit below that. The show’s seven-day linear audience (not including streaming) was 5.87 million viewers for Sunday episodes and 5.15 million for Mondays, on par with the previous year. The new season is set to premiere in the first quarter of 2026.

Fremantle and 19 Entertainment (part of Sony Pictures Television) produce the series. Showrunner Megan Wolflick executive produces with 19 Entertainment’s Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman.