Dancing With the Stars cha-chas back to ABC
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Dancing With the Stars is waltzing back to primetime.
Disney+ will no longer be the competition series' only dance partner following its big move to the streamer last year: DWTS is set to return to ABC for season 32, the network announced Wednesday. But fret not, Disney+ subscribers. The show will air live on ABC and continue to stream live on Disney+. (DWTS will also be available to stream the next day on Hulu.)
"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," Craig Erwich, president, Disney Television Group, said in a press release. "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," added Alisa Bowen, president, Disney+. "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+."
"It's a privilege for Dancing with the Stars to become the first live series simulcast on ABC and Disney+," said Valerie Bruce, general manager, BBC Studios Los Angeles Productions. "This demonstrates the belief that ABC and Disney have always shown in our iconic format and how it's become a pop-culture powerhouse with millions of fans. We're thrilled to embark on this new phase in our partnership which has been going strong for nearly two decades."
ABC/Eric McCandless Mark Ballas and Charli D'Amelio on 'Dancing With the Stars'
The reversal appears to be part of CEO Bob Iger's new organizational structure outlined in an earnings call earlier this year, which included a brutal layoff of 7,000 staffers and a dismantling of the Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution division, which oversaw DWTS' move to Disney+.
"Our new structure is aimed at returning greater authority to our creative leaders and making them accountable for how their content performs financially," Iger said, per The Hollywood Reporter. "Our former structure severed that link and must be restored. Moving forward, our creative teams will determine what content we're making, how it is distributed and monetized, and how it gets marketed."
Season 31 concluded last fall and crowned social media personality Charli D'Amelio and dance partner Mark Ballas as the champions. Julianne Hough is set to return for season 32 as co-host alongside Alfonso Ribeiro following the departure of Tyra Banks. Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and Derek Hough will also be back as judges.
Vulture first reported the news of DWTS' return to ABC.
Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.
Related content:
