• February 20, 2008

AT&T will once again serve as the wireless sponsor of "American Idol," allowing viewers to vote via text-messaging for their favorite contestants.

AT&T will also offer a host of mobile tie-ins including voting reminders, trivia, a TXT-n-Win sweepstakes promising the winner $50,000 in cash and a trip for two to the Idol series finale in Los Angeles.

Fans will also be able to get ringtones and answer tones of the top 12 contestants' live performances and watch "Idol" audition videos on compatible AT&T phones. The phone giant is also using the Idolmania to push its MEdia Max data service for an extra $19.99 a month, including 200 text messages. About 64 million people voted for an "Idol" hopeful through text-messaging last season.

--Mark Walsh