American Idol season 22 is back on tonight! (Here's how to tune in)

And we're back with a new episode of American Idol season 22! The show was only off for a week, but I already missed it. Hopefully there aren't any more breaks during the season. Tonight, judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, and Lionel Richie continue their search during the auditions for the next superstar, with host Ryan Seacrest along the way.

American Idol 2024 release time tonight

American Idol airs a new episode tonight, March 17, 2024 starting at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. The episode, like its predecessors, will be two hours long so you'll need to stick around until 10 p.m. ET to watch all the action. We're getting closer to the end of the auditions. I think, based on last year's schedule, we only have one more to go after this. And then, the real competition begins in Hollywood!

Release time by time zone

• Eastern: 8 p.m. ET to 10 p.m. ET
• Central: 7 p.m. CT to 9 p.m. CT
• Pacific: 5 p.m. PT to 7 p.m. PT
• Mountain: 6 p.m. MT to 8 p.m. MT
• Hawai'i: 2 p.m. HST to 4 p.m. HST

How to watch live on TV

To watch the new episode of American Idol 2024, you'll need access to ABC. The network is available through cable packages, as well as multiple platforms like FuboTV, YouTube TV, and Hulu + Live TV. Will we see the third and final recipient of the Platinum Ticket tonight? We'll find out soon enough! In the meantime, be sure you've got ABC set up. Here's all the ways you can get access to the channel:

How to watch on streaming

Just in case you're not able to tune in live, that's ok. That's what streaming is for! New episodes of Idol are available on Hulu the next day they air. And so, tonight's episode will be streaming on the platform starting Monday, March 18, 2024. If you purchase a Hulu + Live TV subscription though, you won't need to get Hulu separately. It will already be included in your package. If you just want the streamer alone, then these are your options:

• Hulu (with ads): $7.99/month
• Hulu (no ads): $17.99/month

Why Idol wasn't on last week

The reason American Idol wasn't on last week, March 10, 2024, is because of the Oscars 2024ceremony. The awards show was about three and half hours long and ended at 10:30 p.m. ET. That's way too late for a new episode of American Idol season 22 to air, especially since the singing show's installments are two hours long. And so, we had to skip a week and a new episode of Abbott Elementary season 3 aired instead. Which was still pretty cool!

The last time it was on was March 3, 2024. The talents just kept on rolling in! Some of the contestants who stood out to me include brother and sister duo Max and Laela Dasher from Black Mountain, North Carolina. Though her brother got a yes from all three judges, Perry wasn't in Laela's favor. But with both Bryan and Richie giving her a yes, she's headed for Hollywood. Hopefully she can prove herself to Perry in the next round!

There was also 26-year-old Scarlett Lee from London who sang "Clown" by Emeli Sander and 22-year-old nomad CJ Rislove who performed an original tune, "The Astronaut and the Rockstar." These two contestants get a yes from all three judges! I'm really excited to see what happens next and what's in store for the Idol hopeful this evening.

American Idol season 22 airs new episodes Sunday nights on ABC. Episodes are also available to stream on Hulu.