American Idol is packing up and making a big move across the United States.
ABC’s long-running music competition series is relocating from Los Angeles to the Atlanta area, producer Fremantle confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday.
American Idol‘s move is a hit to L.A.’s production landscape, especially in scripted television, a space that has seen episode counts shaved and overall orders cut over the past several years. The city saw a nearly 13 percent drop in shoot days from April to June compared to the same period last year and an 8 percent drop compared to the previous quarter, according to the latest report from permitting office FilmLA.
On the state level, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill last year that increased the cap on film and television tax incentives from $330 million to $750 million a year. But production advocates in state and local offices have countered that that’s the first step, not a cure all, to keep film and TV cameras rolling in Hollywood’s historic home.
Competition from other states, including Georgia, New York, New Jersey and New Mexico, as well as international markets (like Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia) has only increased on the incentives front.
The relocation of American Idol to Georgia is a coup for the state, given that the long-running broadcast series (season 24 had a 16-episode run) offers relative stability compared to one-off features that may shoot on-location. In late July, the Georgia film office disclosed 280 productions filmed in-state over the last fiscal year, including Warner Bros.’ Superman sequel, series like Will Trent and Chad Powers, as well as Tyler Perry Studios’ productions.
Georgia is one of the largest production hubs stateside, following California and New York, but has also seen spending from film and TV shoots decline in recent years after Marvel decamped to shoot its superhero fare in the U.K. In the second quarter of 2026, Georgia saw $405 million in production spending, down 40 percent year-over-year, per figures from industry tracker ProdPro. In the latest quarter, California, for comparison, saw $1.3 billion in production spending, up about 5 percent year-over-year.
Local officials have pledged to find ways to cut more red tape in L.A. and bolster incentives. Mayor Karen Bass said in July that she’s “doubling down” on the subsidy program by “fighting for an uncapped tax credit,” in addition to pushing for competition reality TV series to be eligible for incentives. “We’ll keep cutting red tape and slashing permit fees at the local level, because this industry is core to the history, culture and economic power of Los Angeles,” she added at the time.