00:00This is The Hollywood Reporter News, and after the break, it's a big day for American Idol.
00:06Okay, okay, it's official. Less than a week after making an offer on American Idol, ABC has officially snapped up rights to the storied singing competition,
00:14putting an end to several months of speculation about if and where the former Fox phenomenon would return to TV for the coming season.
00:21The network announces formal acquisition of Idol early Tuesday morning, ahead of the coming day's renewals and series pickups,
00:28and next week's 2017-18 season scheduling announcements.
00:32The Idol producers have been eager to place the show elsewhere after Fox decided to end its run after 15 seasons,
00:38but the months following its April 2016 finale saw little interest.
00:42Heat around a potential Idol revival only picked up this February.
00:46American Idol on ABC. That has a nice ring to it, said Ben Sherwood, the co-chairman of Disney Media Networks and president of Disney ABC.
00:54See, Idol is an entertainment icon and now will air where it belongs in ABC's lineup of addictive fan favorites,
01:01alongside Dancing with the Stars and The Bachelor.
01:04America, get ready for the return of a bigger, bolder, and better-than-ever Idol.
01:09The revival news comes with no on-camera talent attached, but that will likely change quickly.
01:14Ryan Seacrest, who just took a Disney gig as Kelly Ripa's new full-time live co-host,
01:18has a pretty full plate, but the former host has been vocal about his affection for the show
01:22and famously ended the 2016 Fox finale with a cryptic goodbye for now.
01:28As of Monday, Seacrest had joked about the potential of an Idol return during his new daytime show,
01:33though sources tell The Hollywood Reporter there have been no active talks just yet.
01:37So guys, what's your take on Idol coming to ABC?
01:39Let me know in the comments.
01:40For The Hollywood Reporter News, I'm Paul Costabile, and this is over.
01:44Goodbye.
01:45This episode of The Hollywood Reporter News is brought to you by American Airlines,
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