All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Season 21 of American Idol premieres this Sunday (Feb. 19). Judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan and host Ryan Seacrest are returning for the new season along with a fresh group of contestants hoping for a shot at music stardom.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Want to watch the season premiere, or binge some of the older episode? Keep reading for a breakdown of ways to watch and stream American Idol from anywhere.
American Idol Season 21 Schedule: When & How to Watch
What time does the new season of American Idol come on? The show will air Sundays at 8 p.m. on ABC.
Because American Idol is on network television, you can potentially watch with an HD antenna, but also through cable, satellite or a streaming subscription that has ABC.
Like other ABC shows, the new season of American Idol will stream live on ABC.com and the ABC app. If you have internet access, you can stream the show from just about anywhere (use ExpressVPN to stream internationally).
How to Watch American Idol on Hulu
Those who miss Sunday’s premiere can stream the episode on Hulu the next day. Not subscribed? Hulu’s most popular plan is $7.99/month after a free 30-day trial (the ad-free plan is $14.99/month).
Hulu $7.99/month after 30-day free trial
Stream network TV shows a day after they premiere on television, in addition to tons of movies and Hulu exclusives such as Only Murders in the Building, Wu-Tang: An American Saga, Still Morgan, How I Met Your Father, The Handmaid’s Tale, Welcome to Chippendales and The Kardashians.
Subscribers can add Starz, HBO Max and other channels to Hulu, create up to six profiles under one account and stream from up to two different screens at the same time.
Looking for live television? Hulu + Live TV gets you 85+ channels, Disney+ and ESPN+ for less than $75 a month. Hulu also offers student discounts, annual plans and bundle deals with Disney+ and ESPN.
Other Ways to Watch American Idol
Want more ways to watch American Idol? If you’ve been itching to getting rid of cable but don’t want to end up spending hundreds of dollars a month, Fubo, DirectTV Stream, YouTube TV, Verizon Fios and Vidgo are some of the affordable streaming options for cord cutters.
:quality(85):upscale()/2026/07/08/580/n/1922564/f78867556a4e48f63e2a99.33534786_.jpg "Keke Palmer Wowed in a Metallic Corset at Essence Festival – Get Her Look Starting at")
:quality(85):upscale()/2026/07/06/655/n/49352476/b5895de25ab74fb2_imgi_1_733172791_18633218026037720_235082600448149611_n.jpg "Shop J Lo's Wedding Guest Look For Taylor and Travis's Wedding – Starting at")
:quality(85):upscale()/2026/06/17/796/n/1922564/2d1048706a32e253a32346.96073123_.jpg "The Hottest Item in Fashion This Summer? A Soccer Jersey")
