This past season, it should be noted the ratings were down a little, and Fox chose to wait until May to renew the show. While it’s pretty normal for a show to get cancelled or renewed in May, there’s a lot more hanging on this season in terms of bad press.
Unlike other shows, Empire has done well enough in the past that Fox has given it majorly early renewals multiple times.
Fox’s decision is likely not wholly about the numbers this year.