Survivor to air on AT&T’s DirecTV after CBS reaches multi-year agreement

Those who have been wondering if AT&T would cover CBS programming in the near future can breathe a sigh of relief ahead of coming Survivor seasons.

As a Canadian who often gets American television through simulcast deals made by Canadian television stations, I never have to worry about being blacked out from Survivor content. Sure, Global TV will rarely show reality competition programs at a later time for scheduling conflicts (Big Brother aired at 10 p.m. ET last night compared to 9 p.m. in the US), but I never miss a beat.

US deals between broadcast networks and television services are a lot more bizarre to me, especially when the biggest network in CBS becomes entirely unavailable for a large service. Thankfully, however, CBS has announced they have entered into a multi-year agreement with AT&T to carry shows like Survivor and others across their digital offerings.

Any home that previously couldn’t get CBS through packages such as DirecTV and DirecTV Now will have their stations and local affiliates return as of today (Update: Nexstar-owned stations remain without a deal). For those interested in sports offerings, CBS Sports Network is also returning, meaning you might catch the odd Survivor player on Poker Night in America, including one show that had all former winners playing cash games.

If you were formerly affected by not being able to watch Survivor, you’re back in business on the verge of the 20th anniversary of the show’s beginnings. We have Island of the Idols coming back to premiere on September 25, bringing us Boston Rob and Sandra Diaz-Twine to serve as champions and advisers for the newbie players.

We haven’t been given official confirmation for what the 40th season will be, but considering we received one of the best seasons of Survivor on the 10th anniversary of the show (Heroes vs. Villains), we should be in for another great time when it airs in early 2020.