'Dancing With the Stars' Confirms Move to ABC
Disney and ABC confirmed Dancing With the Stars' Disney+ experiment is over. The competition series is cha-cha-ing right back to broadcast after being exclusive to the Disney+ streaming platform for one season. DWTS will be simulcast on Disney+, so it is not completely abandoning the platform. New episodes will also be available to stream the next day on Hulu.
DWTS moved to Disney+ for Season 31, after years of declining ratings on ABC. Tyra Banks served as host, with Alfonso Ribeiro as co-host. There were no commercials, forcing producers to find unique ways to fill the time between dances. It's unclear if the Disney+ stream for Season 32 will continue to be commercial-free since Disney launched an ad-supported tier of the platform just weeks after Season 31 ended. Disney also never released viewer data for Season 31, hinting that the experiment might not have worked out as well as the company hoped. The company also completely shut down the Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution division that was responsible for the idea of making DWTS a Disney+ exclusive.
"Welcoming Dancing with the Stars back to ABC offers us the unique opportunity to capitalize on the breadth of Disney Entertainment and reach audiences across all our platforms," Disney Television Group president Craig Erwich said Wednesday. "Wherever viewers want to watch, we have a home for them to tune in and root for their favorite couple in the ballroom."
"Season 31 gave us the opportunity to introduce Dancing with the Stars to a new generation of fans on Disney+, and we are excited to build on that with our partners at ABC and Hulu," Disney+ president Alisa Bowen added. "We're looking forward to giving our viewers a front-row seat to the dance floor on another great season of the first-ever live series on Disney+."
The announcement came the day after Vulture reported that Disney was planning to move DWTS back to ABC. The decision came down two weeks before Disney's meeting with advertisers for the 2023-2024 TV season. It also came down hours after the Writers Guild of America began their strike, which could impact scripted content in the fall. As a reality competition series, DWTS does not require writers and would not be delayed if the strike continues.
DWTS Season 32 will be the first season hosted by Ribeiro with Julianne Hough, who replaces Banks. Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and Derek Hough will return as judges. It is also the first season since longtime head judge Len Goodman died in April. The show is produced by BBC Studios Los Angeles Productions and filmed in front of a live studio audience. Disney has not announced a premiere date or contestants for the new season yet.
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