Media sponsorship

American Idol is often noted for advertising its sponsors during the show's runtime. Being the number-one-rated show in the United States, it costs around $700,000 for a 30-second commercial.

Apple iTunes has joined as a Season 7 major sponsor in the U.S., and Ryan Seacrest notes during the program that all performances are available via iTunes. Video is regularly shown of contestants learning their songs by rehearsing with iPods. Coca-Cola is a major sponsor in the U.S., and all the judges, hosts, and contestants are seen consuming beverages out of cups bearing the Coca-Cola logo, although video evidence suggests there is actually no beverage in the judges' cups at all. The sponsorship also depicts contestants and host Seacrest gathering for a "Keeping it Real" segment between songs in the "Coca-Cola Red Room," the show's equivalent to the traditional green room. (During rebroadcast on ITV in the UK, the Coca-Cola logo is obscured in the shots.) In seasons 1 through 4, after every Wednesday results show, the host and remaining contestants meet in the Coca-Cola Red Room to discuss next week's theme; the footage of this meeting is shown at the start of the following Tuesday's performance show. The red room was removed in Season 7 at the beginning of the top 12 when American Idol switched to a new stage. Highlights of the show were also featured on the official American Idol web site with a Coca-Cola logo surrounding them.

Text voting is made possible by AT&T Mobility, formerly Cingular Wireless. AT&T created an ad campaign that centered around a air-headed teenager going around telling people to vote. This kind of branding to American Idol enabled AT&T to become the favored system to vote for many Americans (Jenkins 87).

Contestants will occasionally don Old Navy clothing during performances, and celebrity stylist Steven Cojocaru appeared in two previous seasons to assist contestants with picking out wardrobe pieces from Old Navy. Clairol hair care products also sponsors the show, with contestants usually getting Clairol-guided hair makeovers after the first two or three episodes during the round of 12.

Kellogg and Pop-Tarts are also two major sponsors, especially of the cast tour that follows the end of every season.[39] Products from the Ford Motor Company also receive prominent product placement; contestants appear in Ford commercials on the results shows, and the final two of Seasons 4, 5 and 6 each won free Mustangs. Previous contestants Kelly Clarkson and Taylor Hicks have also been tapped to do commercials for Ford. Also, in the top 24's studio, in the red room there is a glass table with a Ford tire inside of it. The camera routinely captures the logo. Carrie Underwood previously did commercials for various chocolate brands. Jordin Sparks, the winner of the sixth installment of 'Idol', filmed a commercial promoting the new "American Idol Experience" section of the Florida theme park, Disneyworld.

American Idol Season Eight

Get ready for the most anticipated season premiere of the year! AMERICAN IDOL, television’s No. 1 show, returns for Season Eight with a two-night, four-hour premiere event Tuesday and Wednesday, January 13 and 14 at 8/7c, only on FOX.

As these first seven champions have proven, anybody can win:

Season 1: Kelly Clarkson, 20, from Burleson, TX

Season 2: Ruben Studdard, 25, from Birmingham, AL

Season 3: Fantasia, 19, from High Point, NC

Season 4: Carrie Underwood, 21, from Checotah, OK

Season 5: Taylor Hicks, 29, from Birmingham, AL

Season 6: Jordin Sparks, 17, from Glendale, AZ

Season 7: David Cook, 25, from Blue Springs, MO

Who's Next?