In a story from The Hollywood Reporter, Fox is about to close a deal for more seasons of American Idol, whether or not Simon Cowell is on the show.

Fox currently has a contract with 19 Entertainment and FremantleMedia (who produce the show) that extends through the end of the 2011. Fox is working on a new deal that would include three seasons of American Idol, though that number isn't fixed.

American Idol has been hit with rumors that he is going to leave the show after the next season. He is preparing to bring his hit U.K. music competition X-Factor to the U.S. Simon Cowell's brother Tony spilled the beans Tuesday on his weekly podcast.

Despite all of this talk, Cowell has yet to sign his new contract with Sony who own X-Factor. Once that gets taken care of, the studio will allow Cowell to make the deal that brings his new show to the U.S.