'Big Brother' Season 25 Receives Later August Start Date In Anticipation Of Strike Delays

It looks like Season 25 of the long-running hit reality series, "Big Brother," will start later than expected this summer on CBS. Per The Hollywood Reporter, Season 25 of the reality show will debut a little later than usual, with its premiere scheduled for August 2. CBS has reportedly backloaded its summer schedule due to the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture Television Producers (AMPTP). Not to mention, the entertainment industry could be facing additional strikes from other guilds if new deals are not signed before the end of June.

Along with Season 25 of "Big Brother," CBS has also picked debut dates for the competition show, "The Challenge: USA" and Season 3 of "Secret Celebrity Renovation," which will also debut in late July or early August. Additionally, CBS has reportedly opted to push back the new musical game show, "Superfan," to an August premiere instead of June.

The plan for "Big Brother" is to air its usual schedule of three times per week on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. CBS pushed the premiere date back a month later than usual, likely in anticipation of potential delays in the fall schedule caused by the currently ongoing WGA strike. With the shift in premiere dates, CBS will still have some unscripted reality programming to air early in the fall if the network is unable to resume filming its fall scripted programming. So, the updated debut dates will give the network a bit of wiggle room depending on how much longer the WGA strike will last.

The WGA strike is currently in its fourth week, and THR reports that media companies have yet to schedule any new round of negotiations. The other pressing issue is that the AMPTP has until June 30 to reach new deals with the actors' guild, SAG-AFTRA, and the Directors Guild of America (DGA).

SAG-AFTRA is scheduled to enter negotiations with the AMPTP on June 7. Ahead of the negotiations, the union has already called for a strike authorization vote for its members. If more than 75% or more of eligible members for "YES," SAG-AFTRA's National Board will have the authority to call for a labor strike after the current contract with the AMPTP expires on June 30. After that date, the National Board can call a strike at any time.

This means that if new contracts are not signed by June 30, there could be an industry-wide shutdown in the entertainment business. That means any union-acted or directed projects that are in active production right now would have to immediately shut down.

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This is not the first time CBS has given "Big Brother" a later start date, but the last time was for different reasons. In 2020, the show debuted on August 5 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and production had to be pushed back, with the season concluding shortly before Halloween that year.

 Meanwhile, THR notes that "Secret Celebrity Renovation" will start first on July 28. "Superfan" will debut one week after "Big Brother" on August 9. "Secret Celebrity Renovation" will feature celebrities giving an important person in their lives a home makeover, featuring appearances from "The Amazing Race" host Phil Keoghan, Buffalo Bills Player Damar Hamlin, Max Thieriot, and JB Smoove.

"Superfan" will be hosted by Nate Burleson and Keltie Knight. It will it along with "Big Brother" on Wednesday nights. "The Challenge: USA" will see its debut on August 10, with two episodes airing per week on Thursdays and Sundays for three weeks. The show will then shift to a weekly broadcast schedule starting August 31. THR reports that these scheduling and broadcast plans could change depending on how things play out for the start of the fall season.

"Big Brother" Season 24 is also available to stream on-demand now on Paramount+. Season 24 winner, Taylor Hale, made history last season, becoming the first Black woman in show history to win her season.  The series is hosted by Julie Chen Moonves.