‘Dancing With The Stars’ Moves To Disney+ After 16 Years On ABC

Dancing With the Stars, a staple on ABC since its inception as a summer entry effective in June 2005, has a new home: streaming partner Disney+. After 16 years (and 30 editions) on the alphabet net, the veteran dancing competition will now be available only on Disney+.

“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,” said Kareem Daniel, chairman, Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution. “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.”

Once a cornerstone on ABC, and hosted by Tom Bergeron with Erin Andrews as a commentator, the network pared down the dance extravaganza to only one fall edition, replaced Bergeron and Andrews with Tyra Banks, and now populates the Monday 8-10 p.m. ET block with The Bachelor franchise.

“Dancing with the Stars has been a beloved staple on ABC for 30 seasons and brought so much joy to millions of viewers,” said Dana Walden, Chairman of Entertainment, Walt Disney Television. “As we’re significantly expanding our unscripted slate at ABC, this is a great opportunity to introduce this show to a whole new generation of fans on Disney+. We’re so grateful to our incredible partners at BBC Studios and look forward to continuing our relationship with them on this spectacular series, which will continue to be overseen by Rob Mills and the talented Walt Disney Television Alternative team.”

The decision for Dancing With the Stars to move to Disney+ also comes as ABC is set to air several Monday Night Football games in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

With the move to Disney+, participating celebrities on Dancing With the Stars, which is confirmed for at least two more editions, are likely to age down. Longtime executive producer Andrew Llinares will no longer be involved. And there is no official confirmation that Banks is returning as host.

Given the across-the-board ongoing yearly audience losses on the linear broadcast networks, the loss of Dancing With the Stars to a streaming service is certainly by no means a positive.