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Season 24 of American Idol premiered in early 2026 with hundreds of auditions, but now, there are just three singers left: Hannah Harper, Jordan McCullough, and Keyla Richardson.
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The season finale not only features performances from the top three singers but will also showcase a wide range of special guests, including Alicia Keys, Brad Paisley, Nelly, Tori Kelly, Jason Mraz, En Vogue, Clay Aiken, and others. Additionally, the three American Idol judges, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, and Lionel Richie, are set to perform together during the season finale.
How to Watch American Idol Season 24 Finale, At a Glance:
When Is the American Idol Season 24 Finale?
The American Idol season finale airs live coast-to-coast on Monday (May 11), with a start time of 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. It’s a three-hour TV event, so the winner won’t be announced until around 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT.
How to Watch the American Idol Season 24 Finale Online for Free
For the season finale of American Idol, the reality competition TV series broadcasts on ABC and livestreams on DirecTV.
If you have access to live channels through cable, streaming, or satellite, check your local listings for channel information. Fans who don’t have cable can stream ABC and other live channels on streaming platforms such as Fubo, Sling TV, Hulu + Live TV, and others.
You can livestream American Idol with DirecTV, which includes ABC. The streaming service offers “Choice” in their signature streaming package with more than 125 live channels. For a limited time, new subscribers can join DirecTV for just $84.99 per month for the first 24 months of service (reg. $94.99 per month). Sign up for a five-day free trial to start watching now.
Sling TV
Sling Blue for ABC.
A subscription to Sling Blue, which comes with ABC for American Idol, gets you access to live TV and local and cable channels. You can watch local networks such as NBC and FOX (in select markets), while you can watch many cable networks too. Please note: Prices and channel availability depend on your local TV market. You can learn more about Sling TV here.
For $48.99 per month for the first month of service, Fubo’s “Pro” plan is a cable alternative streaming service that offers the American Idol season finale broadcast on ABC. It features more than 200 other channels including NBC, CBS, FOX, ESPN, MTV, VH1, CMT and others. Fubo comes with a five-day free trial so you can try out the service before you commit month-to-month.
Hulu + Live TV
Hulu + Live TV comes with Hulu Disney+ and ESPN Unlimited at no additional cost.
If you don’t have a Hulu + Live TV subscription the streamer offers a free trial that’ll get you your first three days free to access ABC for American Idol . Once the free trial is over you’ll be charged the regular subscription fee starting at $89.99 per month.
Meanwhile the American Idol season finale drops the next day on Hulu and Disney+ starting on Tuesday May 12.
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