'American Idol' To Premiere March 11 2018, With Katy Perry, Lionel Ritchie & Luke Bryan

New York, NY (Top40 Charts) "American Idol," the iconic series that revolutionized the television landscape by pioneering the music competition genre, will return to airwaves on SUNDAY, MARCH 11 (8:00-10:00 p.m. EDT), at its new home on The ABC Television Network. Ryan Seacrest announced the news today on "Live with Kelly and Ryan."

The nationwide search for the next superstar kicked off in August, as the Idol Bus traveled from Portland, Oregon, to Orlando, Florida, in its pursuit for talent, covering 23 cities across the country. Auditioning was made easier than ever as hopefuls also had the opportunity to submit audition videos online, as well as via select social media platforms using an official tag, #TheNextIdol, cultivating over 300,000 posts. Also, for the first time in "American Idol" history, hopefuls had the opportunity to audition through a livestream platform.
Helping to determine who America will ultimately vote for to become the next singing sensation, are music industry forces and superstar judges, Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie. Emmy® Award-winning host and producer Ryan Seacrest will return as host of the beloved series.

"American Idol" is produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment, a division of CORE Media Group. Executive producers include FremantleMedia North America's Trish Kinane and Jennifer Mullin, along with co-executive producer, Megan Wolflick. FremantleMedia International distributes the series worldwide.