‘Dancing With the Stars’ Season 31 Premiere Date Revealed at Disney+

Dancing With the Stars will make its Disney+ debut on Monday, Sept. 19, the streamer announced Wednesday. The show’s upcoming 31st season will be its first not to air on ABC, as Disney surprisingly moved the show to the streaming platform after Season 30 wrapped. DWTS Season 31 will also see America’s Funniest Home Videos host Alfonso Ribeiro joining Tyra Banks as the show’s co-host.

Disney moved DWTS to Disney+ in April, after 16 years and 30 seasons on ABC. It will be the first live series to debut on Disney+ and no episodes will be repeated on ABC. The show’s longtime Monday 8 p.m. ET time slot was awarded to Bachelor in Paradise, which will also air on Tuesdays this fall.

“Dancing With the Stars has entertained fans for 16 years on ABC, and we are excited to bring this beloved show exclusively to Disney+ as the platform’s first-ever live series,” Kareem Daniel, chairman, Disney Media, and Entertainment Distribution, said in April. “The show’s broad appeal, as well as the overwhelming popularity of its Disney-themed competition nights, make Disney+ the perfect home for Dancing With the Stars while continuing to expand our demographic reach.”

Last month, Disney confirmed Ribeiro, who won DWTS Season 19, will join Banks to co-host DWTS. It marks the end of two seasons where Banks hosted solo after Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews left. Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli, and Derek Hough will all be back as judges.

“Dancing with the Stars has been such an important part of my life for so many years, and I am ecstatic to officially re-join this tight-knit family as co-host,” Ribeiro said in July. “Tyra and I have a longstanding friendship that I hope will resonate with all of the fans at home as we kick off this new season on Disney+.”

Banks, who acted alongside Riberio on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, was excited about reuniting with him. “So excited to finally reveal this,” she shared on Instagram. “I’m reuniting with a very special someone I worked with when I was just 19 years old! [Alfonso Ribiero] is joining me in the [Dancing With the Stars] ballroom as my co-host on [Disney+]! I can’t wait to stream live [and] have crazy fun [with] him!”

The shift to Disney+ is still a controversial move for DWTS fans who might not have subscriptions to the streaming service. However, those involved in the show have been excited about the changes the move could bring. After all, it means people living in all time zones can finally vote and watch the show at once, as Inaba pointed out in an E! News interview. Before, only people living in the Eastern and Central time zones could vote. “I think it’s going to be a really good change,” Inaba said. “After 30 seasons, some shows don’t make it that far. The fact that we’re still evolving and trying new things, it says a lot about our brand.”