The first series of the franchise, created by Idols producers Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe, premiered in July 2005 and has broadcast seventeen seasons since.

Collectively the auditions and callbacks, being edited down considerably, represent only a minority of episodes and are televised during the first few weeks of a season.

In March 2014, CCTV broadcast a promotional episode in which notable dancers from the American and Chinese versions of So You Think You Can Dance competed directly against one another as teams.

Titled Zhōngměi Wǔ Lín Guànjūn Duìkàngsài - Super Dancer Born Tonight, the show was shot in Las Vegas but has yet to see a release or announcement in the U.S.

The episode featured head-to-head competition between "all-stars" in the form of solos and duets and was judged by an international panel.