America’s Got Talent (commonly shortened as AGT) is a televised American talent show that is part of Simon Cowell’s global Got Talent series. The show is produced by Fremantle USA and Syco Entertainment, distributed by the former, and broadcast on the NBC television network, with the first season premiering on June 21, 2006, after plans for a British edition in 2005 were halted due to a dispute within the British broadcaster ITV; production would resume in 2007, following the success of the first season.
Each season is mostly broadcast during the network’s summer schedule, and the program has featured a variety of hosts over its existence; the current host is Terry Crews.
The program attracts a diverse group of performers from across the United States and internationally who have some type of skill, with acts ranging from singing, dancing, comedy, magic, stunts, variety, and a number of other genres. Each auditionee tries to secure a spot in the season’s live episodes by impressing a panel of judges, which currently includes Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, and Sofia Vergara.
Those who advance to the live episodes battle for the judges and public’s votes in order to advance to the live final, where the winner earns a big monetary reward, paid overtime, and, from the third season, the opportunity to headline performance on the Las Vegas Strip.
The show has aired for sixteen seasons, beginning in July 2021, and has produced two spin-off competitions: America’s Got Talent: The Champions, which started in January 2019, and AGT: Extreme, which will debut in the midseason of the 2021–22 television season.