CBS Locks In Premiere Date for Survivor 50
CBS just set the date—its renewed fan favorite is back for a milestone season, and the countdown starts now.
Survivor is turning 50, and CBS is doing the TV equivalent of lighting a bonfire and breaking out the flint. We’re getting a supersized premiere, a throwback marathon, an all-star roster, and a new twist that lets fans poke at the game from home. Also: CBS bundled this with a bunch of 2025 midseason news for its other shows, so, yes, they’re going big.
When it starts (and how long you’ll be parked on the couch)
Survivor 50 is slated to kick off on Wednesday, February 25 at 8:00 PM ET on CBS with a three-hour opener that runs through 11:00 PM ET. That’s the longest premiere in the show’s history. After that, things settle into normal-sized episodes starting Wednesday, March 4 at 8:00 PM ET.
Quick note for the calendar hawks: CBS is calling it Wednesday, February 25. That date lands oddly on a calendar, so keep an eye on listings as we get closer.
Warm-up marathon before the main course
Two weeks ahead of the big night, CBS will run a mini-marathon of classic episodes. Beginning Monday, February 9, the network plans to air 10 encore episodes pulled from across the show’s first 49 seasons. They haven’t said which ones yet, but expect those picks to drop closer to the start of the marathon.
Who’s playing
This is a legit all-star mix: heavy-hitters, first-season roots, recent champs, and a certain HBO-adjacent wildcard.
- Colby Donaldson
- Jenna Lewis-Dougherty (yep, from the very first season)
- Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick
- Dee Valladares (former winner)
- Kyle Fraser (former winner)
- Cirie Fields
- Ozzy Lusth
- Angelina Keeley
- Aubry Bracco
- Rick Devens
- Mike White (yes, that Mike White — creator of The White Lotus and a Survivor 37 alum)
The twist: you get a say
Survivor 50 isn’t just nostalgia. CBS is tweaking the format with some new elements, including a fan vote that will steer parts of the game. Viewers will help decide what supplies the castaways get and how many advantages are in play over the season. Translation: strategy could get weird fast.
The broader CBS slate
This premiere news arrived alongside CBS’s 2025 midseason premieres and renewals lineup, which includes titles like CIA, The Neighborhood, Boston Blue, Y: Marshals, and Tracker. In other words, the network is stacking the deck for the new year — but Survivor’s golden anniversary is clearly the centerpiece.