Dancing With the Stars, the wildly famous celebrity competition show is coming to Disney Plus, making it the first live series to launch solely on the streaming service.
The show was previously aired on ABC, Disney’s broadcast television network, for 30 seasons over 16 years. The comedy has been picked up for two seasons on Disney Plus and will launch in the fall in the United States and Canada, according to Disney. BBC Studios’ production arm in Los Angeles will shoot the show in front of a live audience.
The rights to previous seasons held by Disney Plus remain uncertain. When asked if Dancing With the Stars will continue to appear on broadcast or if the whole show’s catalog will be available on Disney Plus, Disney spokesperson Heather Levine told The Verge that the business will have more information to give at a later date.
The decision to relocate one of ABC’s most popular live television series to Disney Plus demonstrates the company’s commitment to growing its flagship streaming service’s subscriber base. Disney Plus claims it has been laser-focused on reaching 230 million to 260 million subscribers by 2024. Since its launch, Disney Plus has released some of the studio’s biggest films, and the service also revealed a lower, ad-supported tier.
In a statement, Kareem Daniel, chairman of Disney media and entertainment distribution, said, “The show’s broad appeal, as well as the overwhelming popularity of its Disney-themed competition nights, make Disney Plus the perfect home for Dancing with the Stars while continuing to expand our demographic reach.”
Given the show’s enormous popularity on ABC, it is, nevertheless, a risky move. Dancing With the Stars was among the top five unscripted series with adults aged 18 to 49 for its fall 2021 season, according to the network. ABC is focusing on extending its unscripted slate, according to Dana Walden, chairman of entertainment at Walt Disney Television.