Overview
- The Next Pro, which aired Episode 2 on July 20, put contestants through a storytelling challenge judged by Brandon Armstrong and resulted in Benji Castro’s elimination leaving nine hopefuls.
- ABC and producers released Week 2 pairings, songs and dance styles in advance, with routines including rumbas and a Viennese waltz to test connection and choreography.
- The series premiered strong on July 13 with a multi-platform total of 5.33 million viewers in Nielsen L+3 metrics, marking a high-performing summer launch for ABC and Next Pro.
- Show runners are using rotating DWTS professionals as guest mentors and judges to evaluate teaching, partnering and live-performance readiness, and Britt Stewart, Jenna Johnson and Witney Carson are scheduled to appear.
- The Next Pro functions as a direct pipeline to Dancing With the Stars Season 35 by narrowing contestants through weekly themed tests, and episodes stream next-day on Disney+ and Hulu to build audience momentum.