The executive producers of ABC’s Dancing With The Stars have announced that the hit series will be moving to Disney+ starting this fall.
Dancing With The Stars originally premiered on ABC in 2005. The show was directed by Alex Rudzinski between 2005 and 2016 and Phil Heyes from 2016 to the present. Tom Bergeron (America’s Funniest Home Videos) acted as the main host for the show up until 2018 and was followed by Tyra Banks. A collection of celebrities, including Samantha Harris (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation) and Julianne Hough (Rock of Ages), have acted as co-hosts.
Over the course of 30 seasons, Dancing With The Stars has seen a large crowd of celebrities as the show pairs celebrities with professional dancers to compete for the Mirrorball Trophy. Scoring on Dancing With the Stars is submitted by the show judges and by public votes sent in via social media, text messages, and the show’s website.
Walt Disney Studios execs weigh in on the move
Walt Disney Studios executive Kareem Daniel told Comicbook.com that the move to Disney+ was prompted by Dancing With The Stars’ “broad appeal” and the “overwhelming popularity of its Disney-themed competition nights.” Additionally, Dancing With the Stars will be the first live series on Disney+, which already hosts a wide array of content from Walt Disney Studios, National Geographic, and Marvel Studios, as well as all Star Wars-related content.
According to Deadline, Dancing With the Stars and Disney+ have signed a two-season agreement to include seasons 31 and 32 on the streaming service. Walt Disney Studios executives have told Deadline that they foresee the move to Disney+ leading to more viewers for Dancing With The Stars and, therefore, more subscribers for Disney+, but no official information on how the move will affect the show’s cast, crew, or viewership has been released.
