DANCING WITH THE STARS Spin-Off Series to Feature Mark Ballas as Judge

Dancing with the Stars is expanding its hit franchise with a new competition series, “Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro,” coming to ABC and Hulu. The series will premiere July 13, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC, with episodes available the next day on Hulu.

Hosted by wildlife conservationist and “Dancing with the Stars” Season 34 Len Goodman Mirrorball Champion Robert Irwin, “Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro,” features 12 exceptional up-and-coming dancers who move into one house and compete in a grueling audition process, all vying for a spot as a pro dancer on Season 35 of “Dancing with the Stars.”

Three-time Mirrorball champion Mark Ballas, currently starring as Billy Flynn in Broadway's Chicago, will serve as a judge alongside his mother, Shirley Ballas “The Queen of Latin." They will be joined by a star-studded lineup of returning pros who will serve as rotating mentors/guest judges. Details about the returning pros, and contestants will be announced at a later date.

The series is produced by BBC Studios. Conrad Green serves as showrunner and executive producer. Ryan O’Dowd, Krystal Whitney, Alex Cross and Jenny Groom are executive producers. Deena Katz and Quinn Lipton are co-executive producers.

Dancing with the Stars is the hit series cohosted by Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough in which celebrities are paired with trained ballroom dancers to compete in themed, choreographed dance routines that are judged by a panel of renowned ballroom experts, including Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and Derek Hough. Maura Higgins and Ciara Miller will join the celebrity cast of Season 35.

Photo Credit: Disney/Maarten De Boer