How to watch American Idol online: stream season 18 live from anywhere

With the 18th season of American Idol about to reach its conclusion, the hope is that another epic new talent will be revealed right before our eyes. We're sure you've been hooked on this year's contest so we're here to tell you how to watch American Idol 2020 from wherever you are in the world - don't miss the live final.

Frankly, everyone should know how to watch American Idol 2020 live - no questions asked. The trendsetting TV show has previously unearthed stars like Grammy-winners Kelly Clarkson and Jennifer Hudson - plus Adam Lambert.

Ryan Seacreast once again hosts the singing competition, and this year he's joined by a star-studded panel of judges featuring chart topper Katy Perry, all-around legend Lionel Ritchie, and country music icon Luke Bryan. Media personality Bobby Bones also returns in his role as mentor to the contestants.

Read on to discover how to watch American Idol online live and stream new episodes every Sunday no matter where you are in the world.

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How to watch American Idol online from outside your country

As its name might suggest, American Idol is...well, an American show. But fear not, it's easy to watch American Idol live in 2020 even if you're out of the country and there isn't local TV coverage. The solution is to download a VPN, which allows you to get around pesky geo-blocking restrictions and watch American Idol online from pretty much anywhere. 

A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is a simple (and completely legal) bit of software kit that changes your IP address so that you can access episodes of shows like American Idol live or on demand, as they become available - just like you would if you were at home.

How to watch American Idol 2020 online for free in the US

• Hulu + Live TV: One basic plan with over 65 channels and On Demand content for $54.99 p/m. Numerous add-ons are available. Check to see if ABC is available in your area. If you can't stream it live, episodes of The Bachelor are online to watch the day after the program airs.
• AT&T Now: Has numerous plans, the cheapest being $65 p/m for over 40 channels, which includes ABC as well as HBO. As ABC is only available in select markets you should check to ensure you have access to the channel's live stream.
• YouTube TV: $44.99 for over 70 channels. Episodes of The Bachelor can be watched On Demand and live, though double check ABC is available to stream in your area by entering your zip code.

Watch American Idol 2020 online in Canada: free live stream details

How to watch American Idol 2020: live online stream guide for the UK

How to watch American Idol season 18: Live stream American Idol 2020 online 

Equally bad news, Aussie mates - Foxtel dropped the rights to air the popular talent show Down Under after season 17, so we don't know of any way to watch American Idol in Australia live.

Or rather, the only method that comes to mind is using a VPN as discussed above. So it would be a case of signing up for and logging in to a service that shows it elsewhere (e.g. Hulu, Netflix, etc) and then using a VPN to virtually relocate yoru IP address to that country so you can watch as if you were there.