Dancing with the stars 30
Dancing with the Stars

"Dancing with the Stars" returned for its 35th season this week with an expanded, two-night premiere event, giving longtime fans and newcomers alike several ways to catch the ballroom competition as it kicks off a new season.

The season premiere aired Tuesday, September 15, with a second night of competition following Wednesday, September 16, both airing live from 8 to 10 p.m. Eastern time. Both episodes are simulcast live on ABC and Disney+, giving viewers the option to watch through a traditional cable or antenna television connection or stream the broadcast in real time through Disney's streaming service. For those unable to watch live, both premiere episodes become available to stream on Hulu the day after they originally air, offering a next-day option for viewers who miss the live broadcasts.

The show's move to a two-night premiere format marks a shift from prior seasons, which have typically opened with a single premiere episode before settling into a regular weekly schedule. Season 34, for comparison, premiered on a single night, Tuesday, September 16, 2025, before continuing with new episodes airing weekly on Tuesdays through the remainder of that season.

Returning to the judges' table for Season 35 are Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough, continuing the panel that has anchored the show's scoring in recent seasons. Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough return as co-hosts, guiding the competition alongside the judges as this season's celebrity cast begins their run toward the Mirrorball Trophy. The series continues to be produced by BBC Studios, which has overseen the show's production for its ABC run.

The full celebrity cast and their professional dance partners were revealed during a segment on "Good Morning America" on September 2, following a rollout of individual cast announcements that began earlier in the year. Reality television personalities Maura Higgins, known for "Love Island" and "The Traitors," and Ciara Miller, from Bravo's "Summer House," were among the first celebrities confirmed for the new season, having been announced back in April. Jackson Olson of the Savannah Bananas baseball entertainment franchise was revealed as the season's third confirmed celebrity in May, followed by comedian and "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" sidekick Guillermo Rodriguez as the fourth announced participant in June. This season also features Sarah Jane Nader and Hailey Bills, whose pairing marks only the third same-sex couple to compete in the show's history.

Reaction to the new season's announcement was notably enthusiastic among the show's professional dancers. Pro dancer Ezra Sosa reacted to the cast reveal with a lighthearted joke about his own involvement in the new season, writing "but like am i employed," a post that drew a wave of replies from fans insisting he had better be included in the new lineup.

For viewers hoping to watch "Dancing with the Stars" beyond its live ABC and Disney+ broadcasts, the show's streaming availability offers some flexibility depending on timing. Those without access to a traditional cable subscription can still watch live through a Disney+ subscription, which carries the live simulcast alongside its usual on-demand content, while Hulu, also owned by Disney, picks up each episode for streaming starting the day after it originally airs, giving latecomers a way to catch up without needing to track down a cable connection.

The show's format has remained largely consistent even as it has shifted networks and streaming partners over the years. Each week, celebrity contestants are paired with a professional ballroom dancer and perform a routine live in front of both a studio audience and the judging panel, with scores from the judges combined with viewer votes to determine which couples advance and which are eliminated as the season progresses. The competition builds toward a finale later in the fall, when a winning couple is awarded the show's signature Mirrorball Trophy.

"Dancing with the Stars" has undergone several distribution changes since its original 2005 debut on ABC. The show moved its exclusive streaming home to Disney+ starting with its 31st season in 2022, a shift that positioned the competition series as one of the first live series available on that platform, before later returning to a simulcast model that keeps the show available through both its original broadcast network and Disney's streaming services simultaneously.

International availability for the new season has varied by region in past cycles, with Disney+ carrying the show in a number of international markets where the streaming service operates, though availability and timing can differ from the show's domestic release schedule. Viewers outside the United States are typically advised to check regional Disney+ listings or local broadcast partners for the most accurate access details for their specific country.

With the two-night premiere event concluding Wednesday, "Dancing with the Stars" is expected to settle into its regular weekly broadcast pattern in the weeks ahead, continuing to air live on ABC and Disney+ before each new episode becomes available on Hulu the following day, giving fans multiple entry points to follow this season's celebrity cast as they compete for the show's 35th Mirrorball Trophy.