Here’s Why the 'American Idol' Finale Is Not Available on Hulu Right After it Airs
You can watch all of the Season 23 episodes of 'American Idol' on Hulu.
Published May 19 2025, 9:39 a.m. ET
Being able to watch the American Idol finale live on ABC is a must for all fans of the singing competition show. Unfortunately for some, that's just not possible, which is where Hulu comes in. But when some fans went to the streaming platform immediately after the episode aired on television, they didn't see the finale available to stream. So, why is the American Idol finale not on Hulu?
There are few things worse than logging onto your favorite streaming platform to watch your favorite show and finding zero new episodes to watch. The good news, of course, is that you can stream older episodes of American Idol on Hulu any time. But the finale is the culmination of everything that happens in a season, and fans of Season 23 were pretty disappointed when they flocked to Hulu and the finale was nowhere to be found.
Why is the 'American Idol' finale not on Hulu?
While there aren't older seasons of American Idol available on Hulu at this time, Season 23 episodes are available to stream, just in case you watch to relive every moment from the 2025 season. As for the finale, you're going to have to be patient. Most new episodes of the show are not available to stream on Hulu right away.
However, the American Idol finale is going to be on Hulu on May 19, 2025, the day after the finale aired live on ABC. Per Billboard, new episodes that air on Sundays during a season are available to stream the following Monday. The same goes for the finale. So if you logged on hoping to see it right away and watch the winner crowned, you'll have to wait until Hulu is updated with the finale episode.
How much does the 'American Idol' winner get?
The biggest prize of all for winning American Idol is a record deal and the chance to become a music icon. Sure, not everyone goes on to achieve superstardom because of the show, but it does happen. And, to sweeten the deal, there is a monetary prize involved. Winners also get $250,000. Well, before taxes, anyway.
In 2022, winner Maddie Poppe told the outlet, "You do get $250,000, but not really because of taxes. And you get half of it before you complete your record, and then the second half you get after you complete the record. So it's just like an advance from the record deal, but I'm pretty sure I have to recoup it."