ABC is once again using the Oscars as a platform to showcase one of its hit shows.
The network will air a special preview of American Idol following the Academy Awards on March 2, one week before the season’s official premiere on March 9. The preview will air at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT, right after the live Oscar broadcast.
Unlike the usual two-hour Idol episodes, this preview will be a half-hour segment offering viewers their first glimpse of new judge Carrie Underwood. Underwood, who won Idol in season four and went on to become a country music superstar, will take the seat previously held by Katy Perry. Perry left the show after last season, which marked her seventh year on the panel. Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie will return as judges, while Ryan Seacrest continues to host.
In addition to Underwood’s debut, the preview will feature clips from auditions in the early rounds of the competition.
Underwood, who is also set to perform during ABC’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, just before the Times Square ball drops, is among a star-studded lineup for the celebration. Other performers include Megan Moroney, Lenny Kravitz, Tinashe, and Thomas Rhett.
The Oscar broadcast on ABC in 2025 will start at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, as usual, leaving room for the Idol preview before local newscasts air in most regions. The ceremony will also be re-broadcast in primetime for Pacific time zone stations.
This year, ABC successfully aired an episode of Abbott Elementary following the Oscars, attracting 6.9 million viewers — its highest same-day audience ever and more than double its season average.
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