"The Voice" is going through changes — but unlike other singing competitions, they have nothing to do with departing judges.
The NBC hit has added a couple of tweaks for its upcoming third season, executive producer Mark Burnett told reporters during a press gathering at his home Sunday.
Chief among the changes is something called "the steal," which will allow coaches to swipe a contestant from another coach, after that coach has decided to drop the contestant from their team.
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"Obviously, Season 3 has been an evolution," Burnett — who was joined by "Voice" coaches Adam Levin, Cee Lo Green, Christina Aguilera and Blake Shelton, along with host Carson Daly — said. "This year there's much more at stake. When they have their battles and select one person to stay with them and one person to leave, the other coach can buzz in and steal that person that the coach has sent home."
Daly said the new approach will compel viewers to pay attention to the season overall, rather than just their particular favorite singers.
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"It's like fantasy football," Daly offered. "You become incentivized now to watch the league as opposed to your own team. And that's what we wanted to bring to our coaches, where you don't just look at your own team; you have to pay attention to the league. And the league is the other three coaches."
Also new to the upcoming season: A "knockout round," which will winnow teams down from 10 to five participants prior to going into the live shows.
The third season of "The Voice" premieres Sept. 10. The upcoming season will feature Green Day frontman Billie Joy Armstrong as a mentor.