Amazon Prime Video has snatched up the relaunched version of American Idol for the U.K. and will air episodes of the music competition show two days after they go out in the U.S.
“To see one of the biggest entertainment shows on a streaming service is a not only a first but testament to the appetite for American Idol and will be a whole new way to reach fans of the series,” said Jamie Lynn, head of sales and distribution, EMEA for FremantleMedia International, which handles world sales for Idol. “American Idol has launched to fantastic ratings on ABC in the U.S., and we are excited that Amazon Prime Video will become the exclusive home of the new series in the U.K. with this unique deal.”
Fremantle Media inked deals with several traditional broadcasters as well as for Idol, signing agreements with the likes of CTV in Canada, Australia’s Foxtel and Canal Sony in Latin America for the show. In total, the rebooted American Idol will go out in some 150 territories worldwide.
The show, which airs on ABC in the U.S., features host Ryan Seacrest and a celebrity panel of judges that include Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie.
The series debuted to 10.3 million viewers on Sunday, easily making it the top show in its time slot, though behind ratings for NBC’s The Voice, the No. 1 singing competition on air in the U.S., whose new season premiere nabbed 12.3 million overnight viewers. American Idol ran for 15 seasons on Fox, where it scored record ratings and earned 57 Emmy nominations and eight wins.
American Idol is produced by FremantleMedia North America and Core Media Group’s 19 Entertainment. Executive producers include FremantleMedia North America’s Trish Kinane and Jennifer Mullin, along with executive producer Phil McIntyre representing Core Media.
