ABC renews “American Idol” for a 25th season, with auditions starting next month. Deadline reports that the renewal follows the prior season’s strong momentum, including its biggest premiere in four years, though ABC and Disney are still emphasizing the show’s continuity into a new cycle. Variety adds specific timing and format for the upcoming search: auditions begin Aug. 25 with “Idol Across America,” a virtual nationwide effort conducted across all 50 states plus Washington, D.C. Variety also reports that the initial auditions involve “American Idol” producers, who then advance selected contestants to subsequent stages of the competition. Together, the outlets indicate that ABC’s decision keeps the long-running singing competition on the network for another year and that the early audition phase is structured as a nationwide virtual search starting Aug. 25. Details on later audition steps and the full production timeline beyond the first round are not included in the provided excerpts.