FremantleMedia, 19 Entertainment/CORE Media Group and Fox have announced two new ground-breaking partnerships with search engine Google and social networking site Facebook to bring new live interactive experiences to the next iteration of the musical competition series “American Idol.”

“Throughout the previous 12 seasons, ‘American Idol’ has always been a pioneer in interactive and voting innovation,” says David Luner, president, brand partnerships and franchise management, FremantleMedia North America. “Partnering with both Google and Facebook, two of the biggest names in technology and social media, demonstrates how the show is once again creating a global first, connecting with fans unlike any other entertainment brand in the world.” 

For the first time in television, Google will power an online voting platform that will allow fans to cast votes for “American Idol” finalists directly from Google Search. In addition, Facebook will provide live on-air voting progress updates based on real-time East Coast voting data.

Beginning with the first finalist performance show Feb. 26, fans will be able to vote via Google when the Idol vote window opens at the top of the show by searching for Idol-related terms. Searches will reveal a voting platform where fans can cast their votes, after which they will also have the option to share their votes on Google+, follow contestants, join community conversations or participate in Google Hangouts about the show.

With the addition of Google, viewers now have five ways to vote: Google search, AmericanIdol.com, the “American Idol” app, text messaging and toll-free calling.