It looks like streaming platforms are pulling more and more shows away from basic cable services, and Dancing with the Stars is the latest to make the move.
After NBC acquired Love Island USA and added it to their Peacock streaming service, ABC has made the shocking move to move Dancing with the Stars away from ABC and onto Disney+.
Fans who still rely on basic cable for their television viewing will now have to subscribe to Disney+ if they want to watch the most popular dancing show on television.
Dancing with the Stars moving to Disney+
Deadline reports that Dancing with the Stars is moving to Disney+ after 16 years on ABC.
“After over 30 seasons of the program on ABC, including two spin-offs, Dancing with the Stars will move off of ABC this fall in order for the Network to showcase several Monday Night Football games as well as develop and invest in new and future programming,” ABC said in a statement.
Dancing with the Stars will be the first live series to air on the Disney+ streaming platform.
DWTS joins other shows moving from network television to streaming services, including Love Island USA (Peacock), SEAL Team & Evil (Paramount+), and Lucifer & Manifest (Netflix).
“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,” Kareem Daniel, chairman, Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution said.
What Dancing with the Stars move to Disney+ means
While NBC wants to bring more viewers to Peacock by putting shows like Love Island USA on it, Disney has other ideas for Dancing with the Stars.
There are more than enough reasons to subscribe to Disney+ other than this one reality TV show.
Disney+ features Marvel TV shows like Hawkeye, WandaVision, Loki, Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and the currently streaming Moon Knight.
It also has Star Wars TV shows, including The Mandalorian, Book of Boba Fett, and this summer’s Obi-Wan Kenobi series.
Add in all the Disney animated movies, Pixar, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, and there are already a lot of people subscribing to Disney+.
The Dancing with the Stars fans this could hurt are the ones who are tied to cable TV contracts and have not yet made the move to digital streaming to save money.
Disney+ costs $8 a month or $80 for a year, which even with additions like a streaming cable service like Sling, plus Netflix or HBO Max, is much cheaper than paying for a cable TV subscription.
Dancing with the Stars will return in late 2022 to Disney+.