ABC's "American Idol" to relocate production from Los Angeles to Atlanta
"American Idol" will move its live production to Atlanta, joining other reality shows that have left California for lower costs and tax incentives.
ABC announced that the live broadcast of "American Idol" will shift from Los Angeles to Atlanta, marking the show's first production move since its 2002 debut. The relocation follows a trend among reality and game-show productions seeking more favorable tax credits and reduced expenses in states such as Georgia and New Jersey.
The series, which has aired from Television City and later Red Studios Hollywood, joins other unscripted formats that have recently moved out of California, including "The Masked Singer," "Shark Tank," "Lego Masters" and the "Family Feud" franchise. While California recently expanded its tax credit program to cover competition series with budgets over $1 million per episode, many shows still find the state's incentives less attractive than Georgia's, which require a production spend of $500,000.
"Reality and unscripted television remain excluded (with the exception of competition shows), despite being one of California’s most productive, scalable, and culturally influential sectors," wrote Todd Weinstein, senior owner of Weinstein Media, in a LinkedIn post last year.
Industry observers note that the shift could affect thousands of jobs and local vendors that support California’s production ecosystem, highlighting ongoing concerns about the long-term viability of keeping unscripted programming in the state.