Photo courtesy Reuters

American Idol is coming back to television, this time on ABC.

According to Variety, the broadcast network outbid the singing competition's former home Fox in efforts to revive the show, which has only been off the air for one year.

Reports suggest the battle to bring back the once-hit series was a fierce one, with Fox—the network which canceled Idol last May—said to have "moved aggressively" to keep the FreeMantle Media-produced show on its airwaves.

In its prime, Idol was the highest-rated show on television for eight consecutive seasons, peaking at 36.4 million viewers and a 12.4 average rating in the 18-49 demographic in 2006. Ratings eventually dipped, with 9.1 million viewers and 2.2 in the demo in its final year, a decent number by 2016 standards but a massive fall from its best days.

Details are still unclear, but ABC is eyeing a March 2018 premiere. It is expected to formally announce the plan on May 16 during the network's annual upfront presentation.

While the show arguably hasn't been off the air long enough to evoke nostalgia among viewers, it's worth noting its 2.0 version will probably be somewhat different from the original.

It's unlikely all or any judges will return. And although Ryan Seacrest is now part of the ABC family co-hosting Live with Kelly and Ryan, his return would also be doubtful.