Fox Ends ‘American Idol’

Fox’s American Idol will end its run in 2016.

On Monday, Fox chairmen and CEOs Gary Newman and Dana Walden announced that American Idol will not return after its 15th season in 2016. Idol has been on TV since 2002, but the network has decided to end the show after a major decline in viewership from 31.1 million viewers to under 9 million viewers in recent years.

“You know, it was not an easy decision,” said Newman. ”American Idol has been such a vital part of Fox for its run, and we spent a lot of time talking with producers about the future of American Idol and collectively we arrived at the conclusion that it was time to bring the show to an end. But we wanted to do it in a way that felt special and celebratory and treated the show the way it deserved to be treated.”

American Idol was the No. 1 broadcast show for eight years. The show also kick-started the careers for stars like Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson, Clay Aiken, Jordin Sparks, Katharine McPhee and Adam Lambert. However, ratings over recent years slowly declined after Idol’s former judge Simon Cowell joined rival singing competition The X Factor in 2010. NBC’s The Voice and the departure of Idol judges Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson strongly impacted the show’s viewership as well. Ryan Seacrest has been with the series from the beginning.

Newman added that the final season of American Idol will be a “true season-long celebration” that will honor the show’s accomplishments over the last 14 years. The final season will begin in January, and will include Idol judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban, Harry Connick Jr and long-time host Ryan Seacrest.