After almost 25 years, one of the most popular reality shows in history is leaving Los Angeles.
This is the show that brought Kelly Clarkson into the limelight, helped make Simon Cowell a global icon, and launched the careers of Carrie Underwood and Jennifer Hudson. It’s also notorious for turning Randy Jackson into a household meme.
It debuted during George W. Bush’s presidency, managed to come back after being cancelled, changed networks, saw countless shifts in its judging panel, and endured the decline of the cultural landscape that once made it a massive hit.
Yet, it seems it couldn’t withstand the challenges posed by California.
Shifting to Atlanta
“American Idol” will relocate its production to the Atlanta area for its 25th season, marking the end of its long-standing presence on the West Coast, which started back in 2002.
The decision comes at a particularly uncomfortable moment for California, which has been actively trying to retain film and television productions moving to states like Georgia and New Jersey. Last year, lawmakers expanded the state’s film and television tax credits and included a new category for large-scale competition shows.
You might assume that “American Idol” would fit that bill; however, it does not.
California’s new incentive criteria define a “large-scale competition show” as one where contestants compete over several episodes for cash or prizes, judged by a panel, audience, or through another competitive mechanism.
That sounds quite similar to “American Idol,” right? But California has also excluded “traditional reality shows, game shows, talk shows, and docufollow formats” from qualifying for its expanded tax incentives. Reports indicate that “Idol” simply did not meet the requirements.
On the other hand, Georgia presents a far more appealing offer. The state grants qualifying productions that spend at least $500,000 a 20% base tax credit, with an additional 10% on top of that under certain conditions—something that unscripted and reality shows can benefit from.
For a massive production like “American Idol,” that’s significant savings.
More Losses for California
And it’s not just “Idol” that California is losing.
Another longtime series, “The Masked Singer,” announced earlier this year that its production is moving from Los Angeles to New Jersey for its upcoming season. New Jersey offers tax credits of up to 30% for qualifying television productions, including unscripted shows.
This means California is not only competing with Georgia, which has developed into a significant production hub over the years, but also with various states across the country that are eager to lure away Hollywood productions with better deals.
These losses come at a particularly troubling time for Los Angeles.
A report from FilmLA, the nonprofit organization overseeing film permits in Los Angeles and surrounding areas, showed that on-location productions dropped another 12.7% in the second quarter of 2026 compared to the same timeframe the previous year.
Production Declines
When compared to the five-year average, the figures are even worse.
Days spent shooting feature films decreased by around 40%, commercial production fell by about 46%, and overall television production declined nearly 49%. Reality TV, which includes shows like “American Idol,” saw a staggering drop of nearly 63% from its five-year average.
As for TV dramas, they dropped by 16%, while comedies faced a roughly 67% decline.
And this isn’t just a tough comparison against the five-year averages; each of those major categories also declined since the second quarter of 2025.
There were a few bright spots, though. TV pilot production was up 40% compared to the five-year average, and another category tracked by FilmLA saw a 10% increase year over year.
Yet, overall permitted on-location filming fell 35.9% compared to the five-year average.
It’s worth mentioning that these statistics do not capture every film or show made in California, as FilmLA only measures permitted on-location filming and misses out on soundstage production and other offshoots.
Despite this, it’s clear that California recognizes the broader issue at hand.
Governor Gavin Newsom last year signed a significant expansion of the state’s Film and Television Tax Credit Program, increasing available funds and broadening eligibility for incentives. Officials state that these changes are already attracting billions in expected economic activity.
This effort might help reverse California’s production decline, but when it came to retaining “American Idol”?
Well, that’s a clear no from them, dawg.
