It’s not often these days that a show is able to secure a multi-season renewal order, as they’re becoming more and more rare in the current television climate. But it seems NBC was feeling generous this week and decided to bet big on one of its longest-running shows by bestowing it with a two-season pickup!
As first reported by TVLine, NBC has renewed American Ninja Warrior for two additional seasons, picking the summertime hit up for seasons 19 and 20. The news comes on the heels of the season 18 finale on August 31 and guarantees the show will continue its run for the next two summers.
Season 19 is slated to air sometime in 2027, while season 20 is planned to air in 2028 with a special edition coming the fans’ way for the show’s 20th season. The show’s historic 20th season will celebrate the sport’s debut at the 2028 Summer Olympics with season 20 dubbed “Summer of Champions.” This special anniversary season will feature a mix of both elite champions from over 15 countries around the world as well as yet-to-be-announced former Olympians.
It’s honestly a brilliant way of both celebrating the show’s milestone season while also tying the show into NBC’s Summer Olympics coverage slate. What will be interesting is to see when it might release in 2028 given that NBC will be once again home to Olympic coverage, which means it will turn over its primetime lineup to Olympic coverage seven nights a week for an extended stretch during the summer when American Ninja Warrior typically airs.
What is likely to happen is that the season will begin in early June and air without interruption up until the Summer Olympics begin. We’ll then likely see the show take a two-week break before returning to its regularly scheduled timeslot after the Olympics conclude.
Interestingly, it seems that production on both seasons 19 and 20 will begin before the end of 2026, which means NBC will likely have the two seasons banked quite early. We’re used to the show filming well ahead of its annual summer release, but it will be interesting to see if NBC films season 20 this far in advance knowing the season won’t release until 2028.
Regardless, we’re just relieved to know that American Ninja Warrior is not going anywhere anytime soon and will continue to keep us entertained throughout the summer! Hopefully, we’ll be able to say the same about NBC’s other long-running summertime staple, America’s Got Talent, as we’re still awaiting a renewal for the show—not that it’s in any danger considering it continues to be a strong performer for NBC during the summer stretch!
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