When will Simon Cowell: The Next Act air? Release date, what to expect and more explored

Netflix’s new docuseries Simon Cowell: The Next Act is set to premiere globally in December 2025, though an exact release date has not yet been confirmed. The six-part series will follow Simon Cowell, the longtime TV producer and talent mogul, as he searches for the next global boy band.

Produced by Syco Entertainment and Box to Box Films (the team behind Formula 1: Drive to Survive), the docuseries marks Cowell’s first major collaboration with Netflix for an unscripted music project.​

Simon Cowell: The Next Act on Netflix

Simon Cowell: The Next Act will give fans an inside look at Cowell’s return to his musical roots, nearly 15 years after assembling One Direction on The X Factor.

The new series aims to capture every stage of the process: from open auditions in cities such as Liverpool, Dublin, and London to the formation and debut of a new boy band.

According to Netflix’s official synopsis, the show will feature “raw open casting calls” and lead up to the release of the group’s first single, giving viewers “an all-access pass” to Cowell’s next big project.​

Cowell, who also serves as an executive producer, said in interviews that the idea for the show was sparked by a desire to rediscover the magic of creating music groups from scratch.

“The industry has changed massively since we formed One Direction, and I wanted to see what would happen if we went back to basics—just pure talent, no gimmicks,” Cowell said in a teaser clip.​

Release Details and Format

Netflix has confirmed that Simon Cowell: The Next Act will begin streaming in December 2025, with all six episodes premiering simultaneously.

The show is also being marketed as one of the top-end projects of Netflix at the end of the year, joining the lineup of reality and documentary series alongside other unscripted shows. It will be revealed in the winter lineup.

The Next Act is a reversion to Cowell's trademark format, as it combines competition, mentorship and high-stakes entertainment. Although there are neither announced episode titles nor a full runtime, Netflix has already revealed that every episode will document a new phase of the band formation process- casting and group selection to production, recording and debut performance.

Casting and Production

Open auditions for Simon Cowell: The Next Act took place across the United Kingdom and Ireland during the summer of 2024, with sessions held in Liverpool, Dublin and London, drawing thousands of hopefuls between July 6 and July 8. Footage from those events will be featured in the series. The audition process was overseen by both Cowell and talent producers from Syco to find young male performers with “vocal range, stage presence, and unity as a group.”

Netflix has not yet announced the final contestants or band members.​

Responding to prior media speculation about the show’s production troubles, Cowell’s team released a statement denying cancellation rumors: “This project is primarily a search for a boy band, which is being documented. The article completely misrepresents the process and the incredible level of talent that the team has found,” a spokesperson said after a Mail on Sunday story claimed production had stalled.

Concept and Expectations

As outlined by Netflix in the project description, the series has Cowell in his comfort zone, searching for voices that would become the new face of pop music.

The streamer refers to Simon Cowell: The Next Act as an uncensored insight into Cowell's creative instincts, industry acumen, and insatiable drive to explore the next world-dominating sound.

The episodes will strike a balance between behind-the-scenes shots of rehearsals and emotional interviews, as well as the high competition that has become a trademark of Cowell's television career.

Cowell also appeared in the trailer in July 2025, speaking to a full room and declaring, "If I could identify five people to make magic with each other, that would do it." That will do to transform the whole thing. The trailer also offers a preview of the contestants' emotional confessions, highlights of their performances and Cowell's tough-love mentoring. 

Legacy and Industry Impact

Simon Cowell, considered one of the most influential figures in the production of pop music, has over 30 years of experience in the media industry, including American Idol, The X Factor, and America's Got Talent. He also assisted in the launch of a few internationally acclaimed artists, including One Direction, Fifth Harmony, Leona Lewis and Il Divo, through these shows.

Simon Cowell: The Next Act will chronicle how Cowell applies his old-school audition methods in a streaming-era landscape where social media and fan engagement dominate.​ The show is expected to draw significant viewer interest from both longtime fans of Cowell’s talent franchises and younger audiences who are fascinated by the process of forming a music group.

Netflix executives have described the project as an example of the platform’s growing investment in music-oriented docuseries, following the success of "Hitmakers" and "Building the Band" earlier in 2025.​

What to Expect

Simon Cowell: The Next Act will be a comprehensive non-scripted exploration of all levels of a new musical hit. Since the very challenges of auditions and recording, rehearsal and the introduction of the first single, the viewers can anticipate emotional narratives of aspiration, collaboration and exploration.

The show will additionally emphasize the changing formula of Cowell to develop artists in an industry that has been revolutionized by viral trends. Netflix assured that the new show would be made accessible in various languages and territories worldwide, and at the same time, enable fans worldwide to follow Cowell in his new quest to find the next boy band phenomenon.

Stay tuned for more updates!