'American Idol' moves production out of Hollywood as L.A. faces competitive tax incentives

American Idol, a long-running singing competition series, is moving its production from Los Angeles to the greater Atlanta area ahead of its 25th season. Fremantle, which co-produces American Idol alongside Sony Pictures Television’s 19 Entertainment, confirmed this major shift. The move aligns with Georgia’s tax incentive program offering up to a 30% tax credit for unscripted and reality TV productions that spend at least $500,000 in the state, contrasting California's stricter eligibility criteria for its tax incentives which primarily cover large-scale competition shows with per-episode budgets exceeding $1 million. This relocation underscores the ongoing challenges faced by Los Angeles in retaining unscripted TV production, as local shoot days declined by 40% year-over-year and dropped significantly since the second quarter.