Dancing With the Stars fans rejoice: Disney+ will air next year’s season of the long-running dance competition without commercial breaks.
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Disney+ made the announcement the day after it unveiled its tiered subscription prices, according to TVLine. The streaming service’s ad-supported tier, Disney+ Basic, reportedly kicks off December 8 — roughly two weeks after the Dancing With the Stars fall cycle usually ends.
TVLine said Disney+ has not yet announced a decision on whether the already-announced Season 31 of DWTS will also air without ads.
Season 31 of Dancing With the Stars will premiere on Disney+ on September 19. It will be the first time since 2005 that DWTS does not have a slot on ABC’s schedule.
There’s still a chance, however, that DWTS could appear on ABC at some point in the fall — with a possible finale tie-in.
“What I can say is I think you’ll see it be a key priority across all of the Disney ecosystems,” ABC president Craig Erwich said. “In the same way we focused the messaging on Abbott Elementary or the synergistic opportunities for the Oscars, I’m sure you’ll see the same thing on Dancing With the Stars.”
The Future of Dancing With the Stars
There’s also speculation that it makes more sense to air the Dancing With the Stars season premiere on ABC. After that, ABC plans to make the rest of the season available only on the streaming platform. That’s what Paramount did for the Yellowstone spinoff 1883, and Paramount will use the same strategy to launch the upcoming new series Tulsa King, starring Sylvester Stallone.
Both Carrie Ann Inaba as well as Bruno Tonioli have confirmed they will be back for Season 31. Inaba made her decision the same day Tonioli recently quit DWTS‘ U.K. counterpart, Strictly Come Dancing.
“I will be definitely there next season at the judges’ table where I normally sit. I’m very excited about it,” Inaba said. “I think (moving to Disney+ is) going to be a really good change. 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.”