Ford Motor Co., Coca-Cola and AT&T return as official sponsors of 'American Idol'

Two-night season premiere begins Wednesday on FOX

Fox Broadcasting Company; 19 Entertainment Ltd., a division of Core Media Group; and FremantleMedia North America have announced Ford Motor Co., Coca-Cola and AT&T will return as official sponsors of "American Idol."

Hosted by Ryan Seacrest and featuring judges Mariah Carey, Randy Jackson, Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban, "American Idol" kicks off its 12^th season with a two-night premiere event airing Wednesday (8 p.m.) and Thursday, Jan. 17 (8 p.m.), on FOX.

Ford returns as the official automotive sponsor of "American Idol." As a leading partner since the show's debut in 2002, Ford will continue to engage "American Idol" fans with unique and exclusive content throughout the upcoming season. Once again, Ford vehicles and the "American Idol" finalists will be featured in weekly Thursday night segments. This original content, along with other exclusive Ford content featuring the finalists, will also be available on www.americanidol.com. In addition, Ford will launch an all-new online promotion, offering fans a chance to win an "American Idol" prize package. More details will be announced shortly.

"American Idol" will continue to serve as a key platform for a variety of Ford vehicles and will award a brand-new vehicle to both the runner-up and season 12 winner.

For the 12^th season of "American Idol," Coca-Cola is bringing back the popular "Perfect Harmony" program for its third edition. This year, as part of the program, they are giving fans, including teens, the opportunity to once again help an award-winning artist not only write a hit song, but also help mold and shape various aspects of his/her "American Idol" finale performance.

Throughout the "American Idol" season, consumers redeeming Coca-Cola My Coke Rewards packaging codes at mycokerewards.com have a chance to instantly win prizes, such as the new Coca-Cola "American Idol" cup and trips to the show's finale. Other activities designed to enhance the "American Idol" experience will be featured in a variety of retail outlets across the country. In addition, Coca-Cola will share exclusive behind-the-scenes content online at www.americanidol.com, providing fans with an inside look at the contestant experience.

AT&T returns for its 11^th season as the official wireless sponsor of "American Idol," empowering fans to interact with the show in new and exciting ways. For the first time in "American Idol" history, AT&T is giving fans the chance to directly influence elements of the show, using the latest in wireless technology. In addition to exclusive unlimited text-voting during the voting window after each performance show, AT&T customers will have the option to share their choice(s) with friends using social media. AT&T customers continue to get unique access to their favorite "American Idol" moments and exclusive content through the AT&T mobile site. This year, AT&T plans to bring unparalleled access, interactive contests and viewer interactions that will put AT&T customers and "American Idol" super-fans in the center of the action (messaging and/or data rates apply).

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